Yu no Kuni

Yu no Kuni; The Country of Hot Water

Yugakure no Sato

Yu no Kuni, also known as 'The Country of Hot Water' or 'Hot Springs Country' is a country that existed during the time of Uzumaki Naruto and is well known as one of the primary countries that the Fourth Great Shinobi World War was fought in. The country is named for it's many hot springs and geysers that dot it's landscape, causing the nation to become an ideal vacation spot due to it's natural assets.

Economy

Unlike most modern countries with shinobi villages, Yu no Kuni's military is not even close to the primary source of income for the nation. Instead, the country thrives on being the go-to vacation spot thanks to it's natural hot springs, towering geysers, white sand beaches, and rich history.

All manner of resorts and hotels dot the landscape, bringing in citizens from all over the world to enjoy an atmosphere in which they can decompress without the worries of every day life. There's a little bit for everyone in this country, and thanks to it's location between Hi no Kuni, Denchi no Kuni, and Rai no Kuni, there is no shortage to new vacation goers, bringing in diversity from all over. It is not uncommon to even see citizens from Mizu no Kuni organizing luxury 'cruises' between the two nations.

Recent happenings such as the rise of the NCIA and subsequent fall did nothing to harm Yu no Kuni's economy thanks to Yugakure's decline as an actual shinobi village during the time of Uzumaki Naruto. If anything, the sudden economic surge during the time of the NCIA only helped to bring in more customers than usual.

Architecture

Amegakure no Sato Architecture Example

In the majority of the outlying farm villages and towns, the Country of Rain has no particular major 'leaning' in architectural styles, but it's older buildings are distinctively Japanese and eastern Asian. Within the larger cities there are many newer buildings that are almost 'modern' in their styling, just as is true of the City of Tin. In Amegakure no Sato, the largest city in the entire small nation, there are many, many tower style buildings with modern piping and architectural style. Pipes flow in and out of the major cities as the control of rain flow is incredibly important and crucial to survival in the harsh environment. Many of the street sides and buildings are covered in these pipes which redirect water to safe sewers, many times larger than other villages as the average rainfall per year, or even per day, exceeds the needs of anywhere else in the known world.

Terrain

The Country of Rain is varied, as many countries on the known continent are, and has hills, forests, and streams dotting it's landscape, along with villages scattered about and wide rice fields, and farms in the -few- areas to the North which are high enough to not be caught in the 'rain shield' Ame no Kuni suffers from because of the Mountain Range in Kaze no Kuni below it (Which keeps the Desert from encroaching) and the mountains of Tsuchi no Kuni to the North, the former of which sends warm air into Ame no Kuni, and the latter of which sends cold air most of the time into Ame no Kuni, leading to a high precipitation, heavy rainfall environs, which though varied, is almost always effected by rainy weather.

Culture

The life in Ame no Kuni is about as unforgiving as the rain that plagues it. As an industrialized nation, the mentality of the land is constant growth and advancement, even at the sacrifice of one's neighbor. That's not to say relationships here are hard to find and blandly cold, for the bonds that survive in this wasteland turn out to be for life. This land is all about fashion and they even developed ways to keep re-breathers in style. Depression and suicide rates are high and also are the influx of artists and dancers. People often carry umbrellas with the same gusto as one feels about their wallets and keys. Those umbrellas usually double for a weapon in disguise.

Weather

Rains are common throughout most of the year, and cold weather and warm weather otherwise fluctuate at fairly normal temperatures.

Transit

Much of Ame no Kuni is traveled by foot or by farmer's cart, because of the poorness of much of the country, though there are a rare few who use the Train extending from the Coal Country to Ame no Kuni. As well, river transit is very popular amongst the citizens. Small boats can be seen traveling up and down the river, taking trade goods and people from one destination to another. The large amounts of rainfall makes healthy rivers all year round as a reliable travel means.

Yugakure no Sato

Created shortly before the time of Uzumaki Naruto, Yugakure no Sato was one of the few shinobi villages that didn't quite stick. Due to the lack of applications to the resident ninja academy thanks to the 'carefree' mindset of the country's citizens, Yugakure no Sato was quickly deemed an economic failure by the Daimyo at the time. Despite already having trained quite a few shinobi, the Daimyo ordered that Yugakure's purpose be changed, shifting the village to be more in-line with the rest of the nation- peaceful and prosperous.

That said, the shinobi who were trained during Yugakure's time as a ninja village continued to do their duty as best they could, acting as bodyguards for the various hotels and resorts that were put in place. These shinobi passed down what few secrets they had to their children throughout the years. While Yugakure no Sato no longer has any official shinobi, there are a handful of citizens who do have minor shinobi training.

It is worth noting that Yugakure no Sato produced the Akatsuki member Hidan, leading people to believe that a Jashinist cult dwells nearby.