Fuso

In the Strike Witches universe, the Empire of Fuso (扶桑皇国 ^? fusou koukoku) is an island-country placed at the eastern tip of the Eurasian continent. In a sense, it is analogous to the Empire of Great Japan.

Though there is no direct portrayal of this, one can infer by the term "empire" that the head of state is the Emperor, who seems to be revered by the people. Its national insignia appears to be a slightly altered Rising Sun, and the national emblem is the sakura.

Background

Its history differs from real-life Japan from the point that, after the country's unification in the 16th Century, it did not implement national isolation policies during the Azuchi period. Rather, it assertively advanced into overseas markets, growing early into a maritime trade power.

Also during the Azuchi period, it discovered a new island in the Pacific Ocean. Because it was larger than the Fuso mainland, had abundant underground resources and was mostly an uninhabited region, this island was transformed into an overseas territory under the name of South Seas Island (南洋島 nan'you-shima). Thanks to an influential daimyo immigrating to here in the early 17th Century, it developed into an important supplier of resources for present-day Fuso.

Since it was necessary for foreign trade, it developed the technology to process raw materials into high-grade ones and is currently mass-producing/developing small-sized, great-added value, high-credibility industrial goods. It monopolizes foreign trade from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean and has a reputation as a maritime, industrialized power that rivals with Britannia, and is second only to Liberon. During the 17th Century, it fell into a state of war with Britannia due deploying mercenaries in the Netherlands. As it puts emphasis on maritime defense, it has a strong navy and possesses a great number of witches-use aircraft carriers.

Other than the Fuso Sea Incident, it has remained relatively untouched by the Neuroi incursions. However, Fuso remains a nation at the forefront of Striker development falling just behind Liberon in this area.

Another piece of territory under Fuso's control and ownership is Urajio: located on the Russian mainland and the region consisting of real life Vladivostok. Urajio is a busy port city with merchants, traders, a vast market and serving as a stop along a major supply line and trade route across "The Empty Desert Region" to send supplies to support the Orussian Front-lines and in all possible likelihood to other Eastern allied nations. Being a very busy, bustling port city region and the importance of it's supply and trade routes; Urajio serves as a hub for trade for a large amount of goods and services for sale; ranging from soft drinks, movie theaters, and even striker parts. Urajio was given to Fuso in history as a likely gift, though the exact details as to the exact circumstances and context for this is not yet outlined.

Fuso Witches

1. Anabuki Tomoko (Army - 507th)
2. Etou Toshiko (Army)
3. Fukuhara Katsumi (Army)
4. Hattori Shizuka (Navy)
5. Honda (Army)
6. Ikuta (Army)
7. Inagaki Mami (Army - 31st)
8. Inufusa Yuno (Army - 505th)
9. Kashiguchi Kana (Navy)
10. Kanno Naoe (Navy - 502nd)
11. Karibuchi Takami (Navy - 508th)
12. Kashida Isami (Army)
13. Katou Keiko (Army - 31st)
14. Katou Takeko (Army)
15. Kawaguchi Fumiyo (Army - 503rd)
16. Kitagou Fumika (Navy)
17. Kitano Furuko (Army - 31st)
18. Kadomaru Misa (Army - Isle of Wight Det.)
19. Kobayashi Sadae (Navy - 508th)
20. Kondou Sachiko (Navy)
21. Kuroda Kunika (Army - 506th)
22. Kuroe Ayaka (Army)
23. Matsuda Shouko (Navy 508th)
24. Miyafuji Yoshika (Navy - 501st)
25. Misumi Miya (Navy - 507th)
26. Mori Ranmaru (Sengoku period witch)
27. Morioka Hiroshi (Navy)
28. Nakajima Hayate (Army)
29. Nakajima Kodaka (Army)
30. Nakajima Nishiki (Army - 504th)
31. Nakaoka Yuzu (Navy)
32. Nishizawa Yoshiko (Navy)
33. Nishizawa (Army)
34. Oobayashi Teruko (Army)
35. Ohta (Army)
36. Sakamoto Mio (Navy - 501st)
37. Sakatani Shigeko (Navy)
38. Sakomizu Haruka (Navy - 507th)
39. Sano Honoka (Army)
40. Sasauchi Satoko (Army)
41. Shimohara Sadako (Navy - 502nd)
42. Shindou Mie (Navy - 508th)
43. Suwa Amaki (Army - 504th)
44. Suwa Goshiki (Army)
45. Suwa Masuzu (Army)
46. Takami Tadae (Army)
47. Takei Junko (Navy - 504th)
48. Tomoko (Army)
49. Wakamoto Tetsuko (Navy)
50. Yokokawa Kazumi (Navy)
51. Kanayama Nao (Army)
52. Shibuya Inori (Music Squadron)

Trivia

• Other than an alternative name for Japan, "Fuso" is also the name of something like a world tree that appears in in Chinese mythology. Legend goes that it existed somewhere in the middle of the eastern sea and would produce a new sun every morning. This story seems to be the source of Japan's name as the "Land of the Rising Sun".
• The South Seas Island is based on an old legend about a lost continent that once existed somewhere in the Polynesia.
• The South Sea Island's capital city is called Shinkyo (新居), which means "New Capital" or "New Home".
• The South Sea Island is also known by Fuso as Nanyojima (南予島) which draws phonetic naming correlation to Nakajima Island (中島) found in Lake Toya, which is known as being untouched land of nature and known for it's national, cultural and natural symbolic importance. With such a detail in mind in regards to the allegorical invocation of Nakajima Island, implies that Nanyojima, also known simply as "The South Sea Island"; is seen as being of great importance to Fuso, and further highlights how the South Sea Island is akin to a second capitol city to Fuso.
• An important historical contextual note: Kokoku (興国) is the term used to describe pre-Meiji Japan, while Teikoku (帝国) describes Japan after the Meiji Restoration and the establishment of the Meiji Constitution. This difference in phonic terminology implies that Fuso did not experience the Meiji Restoration, which makes sense since the Meiji Restoration primarily occurred due to the Meiji supporters wanted to restore the power of the Emperor in order to counter foreign aggression; an act that didn't come to pass in Fuso's history due to it's long history of non-isolationist policy compared to it real world counterpart and Fuso's line of Emperors already having held power of the nation of Fuso seemingly, and thus Fuso having run under it's own autonomy throughout it's national history since the Sengoku period.

Gallery

National Flag of Fuso

Military Flag of Fuso

Insignia of Fuso

Locations

Fuso Empire 1

Fuso Empire 2