Imperial Lands - Hirosaka and the River of the Sun
Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2020 2:23 pm
Hirosaka
Hirosaka is located a full day by foot north of Otosan Uchi, on the eastern bank of the River of the Sun. For nearly two hundred years, the town and the lands around it have been administered by the Imperial families in general, and by the Seppun family in particular. This places Hirosaka in some of the most fertile and fully developed land in the Empire, accentuating its importance as a hub for travel, trade, and commerce. The current population of Hirosaka is about five thousand people, but as the town is a center for both overland and river travel, this number swells and shrinks throughout the year, in parallel with the seasonal activities in the lands around it. For example, in the late summer and throughout the autumn, Hirosaka’s
population increases as harvested crops are brought in from the surrounding farms and villages to be taxed, sold, stored, and shipped to other destinations. Conversely, in the winter, the population decreases as the commoners return to their rural homes and hunker down against the cold weather.
The River of the Sun
The River of the Sun is born in the southern reaches of Yama no Kuyami, the Mountains of Regret, and flows southward through flat, open lands administered by the Seppun family. Its course eventually passes through Otosan Uchi before emptying into the sea through the Bay of the Golden Sun. The river’s periodic flooding, usually the result of the thaw following an exceptionally snowy winter, has made the land along its course particularly fertile and productive. As a result, this land is heavily cultivated, with numerous farms and villages typically producing rich crops of rice, barley, and other commodities. Hirosaka and similar towns were established as trade hubs, acting as central clearinghouses for this prodigious agriculturalas it avoided having large numbers of commoners bringing their harvests directly to the Imperial capital. Instead, agricultural shipments are gathered, enumerated, taxed, and stored in Hirosaka and other towns, with trade caravans moving these and other commodities to the capital and other locations in a methodical and orderly manner.
Because the River of the Sun is prone to flooding, Hirosaka is located on a broad series of low, rounded hills bordering the river—hence the town’s name. This allows the town to avoid the immediate effects of the river’s flood, although in rare instances, particularly prodigious floods may temporarily isolate the town atop its elevated site. The lower-lying lands around Hirosaka are home to numerous farms, many of which bring their produce directly to the town. The production from farms more than a few hours’ journey away is generally first collected at outlying villages before being transported to Hirosaka. It is important to note that only the farms and villages in close proximity to Hirosaka are governed by the daimyō. More remote settlements, such as Twin Blessings Village, are governed by other lords. This can, and does, lead to tension between the governor of Hirosaka and the other lords, as they bicker over matters like the boundaries of their authority and the apportioning of taxes.
Farmed crops are not the only commodity that passes through Hirosaka. Because the River of the Sun is generally navigable once it emerges from the Mountains of Regret, mineral resources such as iron, copper, and stone mined in the mountains are shipped southward through Hirosaka, as is timber harvested from forested areas along the river’s course. All of these goods can then be shipped farther south, and eventually to Otosan Uchi, using a combination of river transport and traffic along a well-maintained Imperial road that parallels the river.
Finally, because the land surrounding Hirosaka is quite flat and open, it provides little defense in times of war. Even so, Hirosaka has no external wall and few defensive works, instead relying instead on its location deep inside the Empire and its status as an Imperial holding for protection from those who might consider attacking it.
Hirosaka is located a full day by foot north of Otosan Uchi, on the eastern bank of the River of the Sun. For nearly two hundred years, the town and the lands around it have been administered by the Imperial families in general, and by the Seppun family in particular. This places Hirosaka in some of the most fertile and fully developed land in the Empire, accentuating its importance as a hub for travel, trade, and commerce. The current population of Hirosaka is about five thousand people, but as the town is a center for both overland and river travel, this number swells and shrinks throughout the year, in parallel with the seasonal activities in the lands around it. For example, in the late summer and throughout the autumn, Hirosaka’s
population increases as harvested crops are brought in from the surrounding farms and villages to be taxed, sold, stored, and shipped to other destinations. Conversely, in the winter, the population decreases as the commoners return to their rural homes and hunker down against the cold weather.
The River of the Sun
The River of the Sun is born in the southern reaches of Yama no Kuyami, the Mountains of Regret, and flows southward through flat, open lands administered by the Seppun family. Its course eventually passes through Otosan Uchi before emptying into the sea through the Bay of the Golden Sun. The river’s periodic flooding, usually the result of the thaw following an exceptionally snowy winter, has made the land along its course particularly fertile and productive. As a result, this land is heavily cultivated, with numerous farms and villages typically producing rich crops of rice, barley, and other commodities. Hirosaka and similar towns were established as trade hubs, acting as central clearinghouses for this prodigious agriculturalas it avoided having large numbers of commoners bringing their harvests directly to the Imperial capital. Instead, agricultural shipments are gathered, enumerated, taxed, and stored in Hirosaka and other towns, with trade caravans moving these and other commodities to the capital and other locations in a methodical and orderly manner.
Because the River of the Sun is prone to flooding, Hirosaka is located on a broad series of low, rounded hills bordering the river—hence the town’s name. This allows the town to avoid the immediate effects of the river’s flood, although in rare instances, particularly prodigious floods may temporarily isolate the town atop its elevated site. The lower-lying lands around Hirosaka are home to numerous farms, many of which bring their produce directly to the town. The production from farms more than a few hours’ journey away is generally first collected at outlying villages before being transported to Hirosaka. It is important to note that only the farms and villages in close proximity to Hirosaka are governed by the daimyō. More remote settlements, such as Twin Blessings Village, are governed by other lords. This can, and does, lead to tension between the governor of Hirosaka and the other lords, as they bicker over matters like the boundaries of their authority and the apportioning of taxes.
Farmed crops are not the only commodity that passes through Hirosaka. Because the River of the Sun is generally navigable once it emerges from the Mountains of Regret, mineral resources such as iron, copper, and stone mined in the mountains are shipped southward through Hirosaka, as is timber harvested from forested areas along the river’s course. All of these goods can then be shipped farther south, and eventually to Otosan Uchi, using a combination of river transport and traffic along a well-maintained Imperial road that parallels the river.
Finally, because the land surrounding Hirosaka is quite flat and open, it provides little defense in times of war. Even so, Hirosaka has no external wall and few defensive works, instead relying instead on its location deep inside the Empire and its status as an Imperial holding for protection from those who might consider attacking it.