JAPAN

General
JAPAN is an island nation off the south-east corner of The Continent, connected by the Tenma Bridge. Due to the separation from the main continent, JAPAN has developed a very unique culture.

JAPAN was formed in NC0321 when the Holy Beast Orochi crashed and broke a piece of land from the Continent. Orochi hid in that broken piece of land, keeping it afloat. Prior to the creation of the Tenma Bridge in NC0440, travel between JAPAN and the Continent was possible once every 10 years when the tide rises.

Appears in: Kichikuou Rance, Sengoku Rance

Mentioned in: Rance 5D, Rance VI

Politics
JAPAN is under a feudal system, with the lord of major houses each ruling their own territories (provinces). During times in which there is no strong leadership, JAPAN enters a Sengoku period in which different houses and clans openly fight each other to gain territory, until one of them establishes complete dominance.

An Alternative to the feudal way of deciding who rules, there is also the Emperor Race, a contest devised by Amaterasu in which many people compete to gain the Emperor Artifacts, three sacred treasures that will make their owner the Emperor, the unquestionable ruler of JAPAN.

History

 * NC0321 - The Holy Beast Orochi crashed into the main continent, splitting off a chunk of land that became the island nation of JAPAN.
 * Orochi became trapped inside JAPAN, keeping it afloat.
 * Approximately every 100 years or so, JAPAN suffers from a major earthquake due to Orochi stirring.
 * Beings known as youkai began to appear in JAPAN.
 * Due to an oversight of the Goddess Amaterasu, the impact caused numerous Hell Holes to appear throughout JAPAN, allowing the Oni to roam freely in the area.


 * NC0440 - Amaterasu created the Tenma Bridge overnight, connecting JAPAN with the main continent.


 * NC068X - Fujiwara Ishimaru stole the three Emperor Artifacts from the Oni and bested the first Youkai King Kurobe, this began his reign of Emperor, with dominion over the JAPANese people and Youkai alike.


 * NC0700 - Fujiwara Ishimaru leads the army of JAPAN into the main continent. With only 20,000 human troops and 4,000 youkai, he completely obliterated the 130,000-strong main continent army sent against him, conquering the western half of the main continent within 5 years.


 * NC0705 - The Demon King Nighcisa ordered Dark Lord Xavier to eliminate the arrogant humans. In just two months, Xavier's monster army won undefeated all the way across the Tenman Bridge into JAPAN.


 * NC0706 - In a final showdown, Fujiwara Ishimaru was killed by Xavier, and Kurobe was likewise destroyed. However, Fujiwara's adviser Geppei was able to seal Xavier. Without Xavier's leadership, and with their primary objective accomplished anyway, Xavier's army dispersed.
 * In the next few years, Tenshiism and the way of the Diviners was established by Geppei. (This was in fact a plot to deliver more souls to the Devil King Rathowm, as Geppei himself was a disguised Devil).


 * NC08xx - The First Sengoku Era of JAPAN. During this period, the Divining techniques became institutionalized.


 * GL0002 - All the nations in the world, including JAPAN, were conquered by the Demon King Gele.


 * GL01xx - Under the terror and fear of Gele's slavery, Tenshiism greatly spread and became the largest religion of JAPAN.


 * GI0001 - First awakening of Xavier. As the event was prophesied by Geppei, founder of Tenshiism, the Tenshi followers were quick to reseal him.


 * GI01xx - With the "no interference" policy of the new Demon King Gi, humans of JAPAN began to band in houses again fighting for dominance, resulting in the Second Sengoku Era. It boiled down to a deadlock between the clans of Heishi and Genji.


 * GI0362 - The Holy Magic Church conquered all of JAPAN with Iron Soldiers.


 * GI0452 - Following the fall of the Holy Magic Church, JAPAN entered the Third Sengoku Era.


 * GI0455 - Ashikaga Takauji unified JAPAN, obtained all three Emperor artifacts, and became Emperor of JAPAN.


 * GI0460 - The Hojo House, with its continued development and research of Divining, began to systematically seal the Hell Holes throughout JAPAN and put down the rampaging Oni (though the work continued for several hundred years to approach completion in the early LP era).


 * GI0500 - Xavier awakened again, this time taking Tenshiism into account, and ravaged JAPAN with his Apostles. A Hero wielding the holy sword Nikkou came to Tenshi's aid, allowing the monks to seal Xavier for the third time. Xavier was sealed into 8 different gourds to be guarded by 8 daimyos, while his Apostles were sealed into the bodies of four Divining masters.


 * GI0618 - Based on research and data collected from the GI0615 earthquake, the Miko Institute was established to collect negative emotions to suppress the magnitude of future earthquakes.


 * GI0910 - The collapse of the Ashikaga House. The beginning of the Fourth Sengoku Era.


 * GI1012 - The Great Youkai War led by the second Youkai King Kyouseikyuubi Matsuchi-joten (later known as Omachi). One Eyed Masamune managed to quell her violent rampage and became the third Youkai King, leading the majority of youkai to the northlands, away from the humans.


 * LP0004 - Shigehiko Tanegashima acquired Tulip, and began development of Muskets.


 * LP0005 - The third reawakening of Xavier. This time, he is erased completely by Kurusu Miki after his defeat by Rance. The Oda House unified JAPAN once and for all.