Clan Shimamori is a minor Kusarian noble clan from planet Honshu. The seat of power of the clan is Shimamori-castle (Shimamori-ji) in the suburbs of Minamimito, the island of Haneda. The current leader of the clan is Marquess Masahito.
The clan is a major landowner on the island of Haneda, where the clan's fief granted by the Emperor is located. Apart from the land market, Shimamori also has assets in the telecommunication and mass media sectors, and banking and finances. Commercial activities of the clan enable it to function without dependence on corporations and political forces and to pursue its own agenda.
Politically, clan Shimamori does not have a significant impact on Kusari. Not being a member of the upper chamber of the Kokkai (//National Diet), the clan has no political power. Nevertheless, blood ties with the imperial dynasty and local statesmen allow Shimamori’s word to bear weight on Honshu and especially on the island of Haneda. The public image is reinforced by patronage of arts, charity, and contribution to local development. Clan utilises its influence to promote its stance on both domestic and foreign issues, as well as to gain more political power on Honshu and draw the attention of New Tokyo to local development. The stance of the clan usually reflects the position of the clan’s head. The current leader, Marquess Masahito, is a known opponent of aggressive expansionist policy and favours inward development and peaceful colonisation.
Despite recent criticism of the government during the Kusari-Gallia war, Clan Shimamori remains loyal to the imperial throne and sees the prosperity of the Empire as a prerequisite for the prosperity of the clan. Development of the Honshu system is at the cornerstone of the clan's activity, which is supposed to benefit Shimamori’s commercial interests as well as to promote a good public image of the clan on a wider geographical basis. Current endeavours of the clan are targeted at constructing a modular installation in the orbit of Honshu to attract more trade to the region, and exploration of adjacent systems in search of valuable resources and habitable planets.
Brief History
Clan Shimamori traces its roots to Samura imperial dynasty that came to power in the early 4th century A.S, having toppled Hideyoshi Shogunate. Hitoshi Shimamori, a distant relative of the Emperor, distinguished himself in a battle against the Blood Dragons in 726 A.S. Despite being outnumbered, the progenitor of the clan showed combat prowess and readiness to die for the Emperor when leading his “Takeda” into a suicide attack. The reinforcement that came just about time to save Hitoshi from its demise captured the scene which was gladly used by the imperial dynasty for its own PR. A relative of the imperial family who is ready to give his life away for the Empire saying best wishes to the Emperor on the last breath. To support the image of a benevolent and caring monarch, the Emperor awarded his distant relative with a hereditary title of Haneda no koushaku (/Marquess of Haneda), a fief, and the ship which brought fame to clan’s founder, now clan’s flagship “Zuiryu”.
The next 100 years Shimamori spent strengthening their presence on the isle of Haneda. The clan solidified its position on the land market by reinvesting the capital from lending the clan’s lands into new real estate. Profits from high rent prices in scarce with land Kusari allowed the clan to build castle Shimamori by 739 A.S. In addition to being a symbolic seat of power for the clan, Shimamori-ji boosted the clan's popularity among the locals taking pride in local attraction. Under the leadership of the next marquess, Shimamori Shinnosuke, the clan to strengthen its economic capabilities diversified its assets by entering the financial sector and starting its own local bank. The endowment fund organised by Mei Shimamori, the daughter of the ex-governor of Honshu and wife of the marquess, to support academic endeavours of the local Tenmei University and to provide talented youth with full scholarship therein brought more popularity to the Shimamori on Haneda and solidified their reputation as the patrons of arts and sciences.
During the Tau war with Bretonia, Marquess Shinnosuke was summoned to war. Being 83 at the time, Marquess had to play a symbolic role of a loyal member of the nobility fighting for his emperor. The story did not repeat itself, however, and unlike his predecessor Shimamori Shinnosuke perished from a mine explosion at the age of 87. “Zuiryu” sustained only light damage but an old fragile and infirm body of the Marquess could not hold even light damage.
One of AHN media centres
Disregard to koushaku Shinnosuke’s old age when summoning for active war actions defined the clan's further opposition to New Tokyo’s policy making especially in the matters of foreign policy, and made the next clan leader, Masahito, a strong opponent to war as a means of foreign policy. First of Shimamori to receive non-military education as a diplomat, he dedicated his public activity to promoting the clan as a regional political entity. To support this endeavour, clan Shimamori invested in mass media and created “All Honshu Network” - AHN, a regional media group aimed at promoting the clan and its vision on developments in Kusari and beyond, and meant as an additional source of income. Despite opposition to the government's stance on certain matters, Shimamori remained a loyal imperial clan with no ambitions to rival the Imperial Throne or spur insubordination to the authorities. Even during the Gallic puppet regime and the turmoil of the subsequent civil war of 823-825 the Clan took no sides or advantage of the situation and tried to minimise damage inflicted upon Honshu.
Nowadays clan Shimamori is a small regional player in Kusari which has limited power only in the system of Honshu. The clan’s interests are vested in developing Honshu for the clan's own benefit and in service to the empire. Recent efforts at diversification of income led to the creation of the Honshu Stock Exchange which allowed to attract additional funds for larger projects. Current ambitions of Shimamori include exploration of adjacent to Honshu space in line with propagated by the clan’s leader's idea of “peaceful expansion”, construction of a new orbital facility in the orbit of Honshu for the revitalisation of the local trade, construction of larger vessels for the clan, and expanding clan’s retinue of advisors and experts.
Clan’s Ideology
The set of ideas propagated by the clan is fluid and changes with the clan’s head. The current faction’s leader presents his viewpoint on state matters in his article “8K of Kusari”. Apart from that, the ideas of the clan are:
Prevalence of domestic matters over foreign. Kusari's internal issues should come first when deciding the priority of the state's focus. Involvement in opportunistic endeavours beyond the borders while home problems are not solved is presented as a strategic oversight.
Liberalisation of social life. Traditionalist-conservative stances on women’s role in society and social security are not only an incentive to such domestic issues as the Golden Chrysanthemum movement, but also an obstacle to economic growth, barring a talented workforce from utilising its potential to the fullest.
De-oligopolisation of the corporate market. Duopoly of Kishiro and Samura in most fields hurt the economy as the competition too often leads to the antagonism of the rival. Easing up entrance conditions for new corporations can incite healthier competition and therefore innovation beneficial for all of Kusari.
Support for domestic businesses. Kusarian corporations should not yield to foreign competition. It is the duty of the government to ensure that foreign businesses do not gain too much influence within Kusari and/or push Kusari corporations from vital sectors of the economy. To that end, state subsidies, quotas, or easing taxation for domestic companies should be introduced. While foreign businesses should be welcomed and assisted, their influence should be controlled lest the government wants more movements like the Farmer’s Alliance.
Emperor’s role under the current constitutional monarchy regime should be strengthened. The Emperor is a mere political symbol under the current system. The symbol of Kusari being powerless harms its international image. In addition, the Emperor having more powers entrusted to him can take better care of the state and swiftly react to unpredicted issues that would take too much time to resolve if debated in the Diet. Empowerment of the Emperor should not, however, undermine the gains of the Reformation but be aimed at complementing the existing system in a beneficial way.
Kusari should refrain from war as a means of international relations. The stakes are too high, and with the internal conflicts and crime, there are always risks that the enemies would exploit our inner discord to their advantage.
Peaceful expansion. Kusari has little land on its worlds and needs more living space. War as a tool to achieve that is too costly. Space is endless and there are many systems not yet chartered. Kusari should rekindle the exploration spirit of its forefathers who settled our worlds and find new systems to claim for the Empire without bloodshed. Development of the new worlds will not only give us all new places to live and needed resources but would also foster competition and innovation among our businesses for the benefit of the Empire.
Administrative excellence. The achievements of the recent administrative reform allowed the imperial government to improve its efficiency. However, constant efforts are needed to maintain a high level of administration for the benefit of the people and the Empire. The Clan contributes to it by undertaking responsibilities locally as well as through participation in the Imperial Diet.
Loyalty to the Emperor. While civil discussion and democracy should remain a crucial element of our society, the wisdom of the Emperor of Kusari has always allowed our House to stay consolidated in times of trouble. The Emperor is raised to govern and take care of their subjects. He receives the best education for administration one could possibly get and is tutored to take the interests of his people and his House as the duty of utmost importance. By staying loyal to the Emperor and his wisdom, we preserve harmony and contribute to the prosperity of Kusari.
Clan’s Structure
Clan’s Head. Marquess of Haneda Responsible for top-level decisions and general strategic decisions of the clan, as well as diplomacy. Kazoku (//The family). The Shimamori and their blood kin. Act in accordance with the duties assigned to them by the clan’s head, usually top-level decision-making roles in the entities under the clan's control.
Clan members. A group of people in the permanent employ of the clan. Required to swear allegiance to the Shimamori family, yet allegiance to the Emperor precedes. Enjoy wider benefits and in rare cases can assume Shimamori surname.
Advisors. Most advisors are hired as employees on a contract basis with a salary to assist with their expertise on various matters. The most loyal and experienced advisors can enter into permanent employment to become clan members and form a privy council that assists in taking the most impactful and delicate decisions.
"Riptide" soldier
PMC Military. The military bulk of the Clan. unlike the retinue, the PMC leave the seat of the Clan often and operate all around Kusari and beyond. The servicemen are well equipped, on par with the other security divisions of the prominent Kusari clans and corporations, and are ready to carry out their duties in space and planetside.
Retinue, also known as the samurai. A small group of professional bodyguards, entrusted with the day-to-day safety of the Clan members. Wearing the Clan's colours and insignia, they also carry out ceremonial duties.
General staff. Secretaries, accountants, doctors, lawyers, etc employed on a contract basis directly by the clan. Ensure day-to-day operation of the clan, mostly in matters of bureaucracy, public relations, logistics, etc.
Assets’ staff. Employees of the companies and/or other entities in the ownership of the clan. Hired on a contract basis by the entity. Indirectly employed by the Shimamori, but can enjoy only limited benefits of the clan.
Regardless of position, all Shimamori clan members enjoy the benefits of affiliation to the clan as if employed by a company: salary, pension, financial support in case of maternal leave, emergency, or disability, legal protection & consultation, and assistance in finding a residence. The clan also assists in writing recommendations for education or post-clan employment. Most of the material needs, such as equipment and vessels are provided by the clan, although bringing personal assets for the service is welcomed.
Clan’s Assets
"Riptide" PMC
"Riptide" Private Military Company (follow the link for further details): The rise of the clan in 829 - 830 A.S. that coincided with external peace and relative political stability in Kusari prompted the reformation of the Clan's security and retinue into a fully fledges PMC. Christened "Riganryu" (//"Riptide"), the newly founded PMC is now entrusted not only with the security of the clan but also with exterritorial operations directed at curtailing the detrimental impact of the criminals and other undesirables on the periphery of the Empire where the authorities do not have jurisdiction. Employing about a thousand ex-servicemen, mercenaries from all across Sirius, and even elements formerly beyond the law, "Riptide" is too small to pose a threat to the Imperial sovereignty anywhere, but is big enough to spoil the day for the operations of the Outcasts and other hostiles on and within the imperial borders.
Land Market: The Shimamori possess approximately 750 km2 of land in the vicinity to the city of Minamimito. The clan’s residence with Shimamori Castle occupies 5 km2, 350 km2 is leased for farming, 200 km2 - for forestry, and the remaining space is leased to businesses and housing companies. The Shimamori own a few premium-class apartment houses directly.
Honshu Stock Exchange
Banking & Finances: Under the leadership of Marquess Shimamori Shinnosuke the clan diversified its assets by entering the financial sector and starting its own local bank “Daihanedaginko”. The bank operates mostly on the island of Haneda and has branches on the isle of Shimada. The banking business caters to the local populace in the form of individual loans & savings, as well as providing financial services to the local SMEs. The clan also reaps profits from administering the recently established Honshu Stock Exchange (HSE - follow the link for further information).
Telecom & Media: The Shimamori own 75% of All Honshu Network, a content network primarily distributing content in the system of Honshu, and 82% of Honshu Fun TV. Both companies operate under the umbrella of Shinsei Telecom Ltd. - a telecom company providing mobile and quantum communication services, landline optical fibre, bundled content, and one-stop entertainment services on the planet of Honshu and is one of the major telecommunication companies on Honshu.
Derivatives: The Clan has a diverse portfolio of stocks, predominantly of Kusarian companies. Due to geographical location, the clan actively invests in Kishiro, although not to aggravate the blood ties with Samura the amount of investment remains modest. During the time of Marquess Hitoshi who did not have a proper civilian education, the clan also cautiously invested in state obligations. Nowadays, 23% of the derivatives owned by the clan are state obligations and the remaining 77% befall private enterprises.
Sushi Restaurant in Minamimito
Minor businesses: the Shimamori own two salmon farms on their territories leased for forestry, and a traditional-style sushi-restaurant “Uobei'' in Minamimito. The restaurant is far from the top-notch places in Kusari but remains fairly popular among the locals who enjoy affordable Kusarian cuisine in the absence of a large-scale supply of fish from the seas of Honshu.
Charity & Patronage of Arts and Sciences: Clan Shimamori regularly donates to the local Tenmei University and unofficially "owns" the place. The Clan has invested heavily in the development of new technologies at the University an to foster the growth of the local talents and hi-tech industry. Marquess Mei created an endowment fund for talented youth to receive education and continue working as scientists at the University. The Clan also regularly organises public events, such as matsuri (//traditional festivals), debates, presentation of books for new authors, art exhibitions, free museum nights, etc.
//OORP Section
Recruitment: inRP application, and/or via Discord (Gardarik#8217), or in-game. For more specific RP (such as recruitment as a non-listed vacancy) inquiries can be made via this.
Diplomacy: as of now, the faction has no distinctive deviations from mainstream Kusari lawful diplomacy to be put into a separate section. If the RP progresses to a point when the relations start to differ from Kusari's official diplomatic stance significantly, the diplomatic section will be included.
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