Hokkaidō Question

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The Hokkaidō Question refers to (as of DRAW Your Own Story 10.5) ongoing tensions between the government of the Republic of Coruscant and the Japanese businessman Mr. Toyoda over the behaviour of his security company. Originally sparked by fears that the Hokkaidō incident had undermined New Port's jurisdiction over the namesake island, it has since expanded into a general paranoia concerning the sovereignty of the Republic, and continues to reverberate in sequel threads.

Origins

The Hokkaidō Question actually began outside the comics proper when Thorvald of Lym uploaded the first political world map to the DYOS Wiki. Whereas the rest of Japan was coloured purple denoting Coruscant, Hokkaidō was orange, and on several pages the caption described the island's status as "ambiguous". This combined with suggestive phrases in the articles on Hokkaidō[1] and Toyoda's company[2] led CivGeneral to believe Toyoda was conspiring, and he became fixated on securing his territorial possessions from further "meddling".

In canon, the issue arose following the Hokkaidō incident, when administrative incompetence by acting commander Ryuu Tōjō led to martial law and a violent revolt. While CivGeneral made little of the incident at the time, the government grew increasingly agitated; by DYOS 10.5 it had outlawed further mercenary activity in its core regions and party hawks advocated expelling Toyoda by force.[3] With the in-story release of the Toyoda Papers, CivGeneral's attitude began to shift as well.[4]

Present discourse and effects

In her inaugural speech as Chancellor, Motoko Kusanagi stated that the Hokkaidō Question was founded on irrational fear blown out of proportion that was poisoning the nation's political discourse. She sought to repeal the Mercenaries Act in the hope of normalizing relations.[3] Public sentiment, however, remains decidedly hostile, to the point that opposition to Toyoda has literally become a loyalty test.[5] Militant hardliners, notably renegade CIA director Randy Johnson, have rejected the notion of rapprochement, sparking a dangerous shadow war that presents a genuine threat to national integrity.[6]

Even though DYOS 10.5 is still in progress, the Hokkaidō Question has been referenced multiple times in DYOS 11, At Plot's End, and CivGeneral's spin-off For the Republic as one of the main precipitants of the widespread public demoralization and protectionist sentiment that gave rise to Mariko Antilles and various nationalist movements.

References

  1. "Traditionally, CivGeneral has held Japan under his sphere of influence since at least DRAW Your Own Story 5. However, the emergence of Mr. Toyoda in DYOS 10 has cast doubt on the totality of Coruscant's hegemony, most notably during the Hokkaidō Uprising. Although Toyoda does not claim any political jurisdiction over the island, some observers believe that the influence his followers wield renders Hokkaidō his de facto fiefdom."
  2. "A number of governments in whose nations the firm has permanent establishments have complained that their authority has been challenged by the "autonomy" of Toyoda's staff. Furthermore, although fresh and/or temporary employees are bound by a standard employment contract, it is rumoured that more permanent staff, especially the senior officers, swear an oath of fealty to Toyoda himself."
  3. 3.0 3.1 http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?p=10968348#post10968348
  4. http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?p=11193564#post11193564
  5. http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?p=10775331#post10775331
  6. http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?p=10310988#post10310988