Kagami no Kuni
Kagami no Kuni; The Country of Mirrors
- Also See Five Great Shinobi Countries
Kagami no Kuni has a long history as the seat of power for the Rinha Clan. The fate of the island nation and the mystical shinobi have long since been intertwined, so much so that unique amongst ninja villages, the Kage and Daimyo are one and the same position, and thus is the title of Kagamikage hereditary. A small island nation, the only major populated area is the village of Hanshagakure, which is also the island's capital. Despite the seemingly laid back attitude of it's native inhabitants, there is much more to Kagami no Kuni than first meets the eye. The island itself is formed from the long extinct remnants of a massive volcano, and this has provided Kagami with formidable natural defences.
Economy
Kagami no Kuni's main source of income is pearl harvesting. Due to the rocky outcrops, locating the oysters that create the pearls is one of the primary occupations of the island's inhabitants. The natives of the island have long since mastered the art of introducing foreign materials into the shells and forcing pearls to be formed. These are of course less valuable than the rare pearls naturally produced, but given the value of pearls amongst the upper crust of the world these make up the bulk of Kagami's exports.
The island is also known for its fishing, though it's proximity to Mizu no Kuni has greatly limited the value of any seafood exports that the island could profit from. Fishing, and much of the island's farming, are instead focused of self sufficiency, allowing the nation to survive without relying on the surrounding great nations.
Finally, Kagami no Kuni's other major avenue of employment is its ninja. While minuscule in size compared to its neighbours, Kagami no Kuni requires all young children to undergo a training programme similar to the academies of more developed villages. The absolute basics of ninjutsu are taught, which allows Kagami no Kuni to field a much larger defensive force than its small population would otherwise indicate. The primary use of Hansha Shinobi is as spies, the prevalence of Rinha making them excellent information gatherers and infiltrators.
Architecture
The architecture of Kagami is simple, baked clay walls with reed roofs supported by a wooden frame. Wooden fences mark the boundaries between homes, and the roads are made of large flat stones dug into the ground and crushed into place with Earth ninjutsu. Due to the nation's reliance on farming for self sufficiency, much of the island is either densely wooding for lumber farming, or cut into fields for rice and wheat growing. These areas feature the same simple architecture as the main village.
Terrain
The Country of Mirrors is situated in the midst of a massive island crater, and the terrain of the nation is shaped by this. The mountainous ring that borders the island is rocky and difficult to navigate, made all the moreso by the thick tree cover that is ever present across most of the island. The inhabited areas have been cleared of trees and now are rolling fields of grass, rice paddies or wheat crops. Ingress and egress are made from the far eastern side of the island, where the crater's slopes are a touch more forgiving, and thus well trodden paths have been made to allow access from the harbour.
Culture
The culture of Kagami no Kuni is one of exploration, joy but also stoic resistance to outside forces. They are natural seafarers, and a child isn't considered an adult until they have sailed a full circuit around the island. The natives have a strong warrior tradition, and while the rise of the Rinha and the advent of ninjutsu has greatly lessened the role these warriors take, they still set sail to patrol the seas and make frightening displays to scare off those who threaten their homes. Women tend to be left on the island more often than not, there is a long tradition of the sea being the remit if the nation's men, but with a female heir to the throne and the heroism of many of the powerful Rinha Kunoichi, these outdated attitudes are starting to come around.
Climate
Kagami's climate is warm, tropical and welcoming. Temperatures are warm all year round and can get hot in the summer, but seldom reach above 35°C (95°F). Trade winds bring year-long cooling breezes in the late afternoon and early evening. Tropical rains fall from December through February, coinciding with the warmest summer months. However, there are no significant differences in temperatures between summer and winter. In general, the winter temperatures (April to September) are only slightly cooler than summer temperatures (November to February).
Transit
The most common means of transportation in Kagami no Kuni are feet for the island and boats for the sea. Most sea vessels are large double ships known as Umigami, or Sea Gods. It is the belief of the ancient Kagami natives that each boat was possessed by the spirits of those who made it, and that in turn made them gods.
Hanshagakure no Sato, Capital of Kagami no Kuni
The capital of Kagami no Kuni, Hanshagakure is a small village by any measure, number just shy of 900 residents. It is here, atop the tall inner mountain of Kagami no Kuni, that the Kagami-Daimyo watches over his people, and guides them. As there is no formal academy in Hanshagakure, ninja re often trained in the basics by their parents before promising individuals are sent across to the main land to learn from another village. The Rinha enjoy largely positive relationships with most villages, though rare is the village leader not concerned about possible Rinha treachery when their ninja are about. The powers of the Rinha are part of why the village is incredibly isolated, even by ninja standards, they've faced incredible persecution before and have no desire to do so again.