Yureimoto Village

=Etymology=

The Village of Yureimoto is named after Osamu Yureimoto, a daitengu that conquered and renamed a isolated human village after his clan's name.

'Yurei' most likely refers to the Japanese equivalent of a western ghost, and 'moto' is a common component of Japanese surnames meaning "the origin". So their name means "Origin of the Ghost".

=History=

Spoilers

=Geography=

The Village of Yureimoto is located deep within the Shini Forest of Japan, where a river runs through it and a few hills surround it. The majority of its land is covered in forests habitable to yokai, as well as dedicated residential and agricultural land.

The climate of the village, theoretically, is similar to the Central Highlands; typical inland humid continental climate, with large temperature differences between summer and winter.

The main ecoregion of the village is temperate broadleaf and mixed forests. The village largely shares the same animals and plants with Japan, all of which can be found on or around the village as well as stationary yokai such as the Jubokko.

=Government and Politics=

The Village of Yureimoto is a sovereign state enclaved entirely by Japan. The head of state and head of government are jointly held by Lord Osamu, who can be compared to a shogun and emperor of Japan in terms of power and prestige, yet, in scale of territory, comparable to a daimyo in charge of his Han (Japanese historical term for the estate of a daimyo). Government classification has been theorized to be a Unitary Feudal Dynastic Autocracy, its ideology resembling Authoritarian Conservatism.

Following the establishment of the Village of Yureimoto, Osamu self-appointed himself as leader of the village on the basis of pure kratocratic strength and achievements that serve to back his legitimacy. However, lacking any prior institutions that may restrict Osamu's power, such as military opposition that destroyed the Edo era shogunate or the political expectations of the post-Meiji Emperors, as well as preventing the introduction and establishment of new institutions and formal rules, such as westernized rule of law, democratic voting, or seperation of power through legislature and supreme courts, Osamu effectively became a absolute autocrat governed by his will and power alone.

During his reign, Osamu allowed himself to be corrupted with the power he wielded; arbitrarily exercising it to do as he pleases. Examples include depriving unprotected civil rights to anyone he see's fit through indefinite imprisonment and torture, utilize his power for personal aggrandizement to build his luxurious and large castle or willingly sacrifice the safety and lives of servants for entertainment, and completely disregard long-standing traditions and customs on a whim.

This is not to mention the suppression of opposition to protect his rule.

To exercise complete dominance over his village, Osamu instills the Fear of God- Fear of Osamu- upon his people, using terror and threat of force to cultivate a culture of widespread political passivity and civic disengagement, a passive mass acceptance rather than active popular support to maintain his rule. However, since Osamu is largely content to just have unrestricted control and maintain the political status quo, he maintains a distinction between himself and the village, and as long as that control is not contested, he allows his people a degree of liberty, allows social and economic institutions to not fall under direct control, and leaves the villagers largely in peace.

The chosen elite of the village would solely be occupied by the proclaimed royal family, the Yureimoto's, given privileges befitting of their station. For example, Osamu's daughter, Mistress Fumiko Yureimoto, is groomed to fulfill the role of regent, maintaining the village in Osamu's absence as well as exercising coercion as needed. Another daughter, Mistress Rin Yureimoto, has fallen under judicial immunity from repeated and numerous crimes ranging from property damage to physical assault. However, the children would also be oppressed by Osamu, using carrot and stick tactics, as well as manipulation and abuse, to keep them in line. Only Mistress Amaya Yureimoto, Osamu's wife, would be regarded as his equal, complicit in controlling the children as well.

To further detail the political legitimacy that allowed this complete monopoly on and abuse of power, it begins with Osamu selected into a council restricted to only the most high of all yokai. Common traits among the council members included age, power, and wisdom, all traits that were supported by the various types of yokai they were and hence painted what a desirable leadership looked like; as held by Osamu and the old Supreme Commander of Yokai, the late Nurarihyon.

After challenging and slaying the former Supreme Commander, Osamu took this title for himself, arguably changing the image of an ideal leadership, and used human treachery to stir up an army to avenge their own betrayal. Having taken the human village later on, Osamu then created the first Yokai Village in history, cloaking its existence to ensure its protection and prosperity. What this translates to is the idea that Osamu is a necessary evil to combat against the threat of humanity, that the freedom of the forest and prosperity of a city is maintained thanks to him and him alone.

Lastly, having been the first to create such a village, Osamu set the standards and expectations to how one should rule over Yokai, with no prior examples to criticize and challenge his leadership. This includes proclaiming the royal family to be Yureimoto's, installing a sense of security through hereditary rule.

Domestic Law Enforcement and Military
The standing military and law enforcement of the village, if there are any, are either run by the village inhabitants themselves, or by loyalist warriors and their offsprings that fought alongside Osamu and were rewarded as such.

Foreign Affairs
The village continues to maintain a isolationist policy against Japan and humanity in general, refusing to reveal it's location nor engage in diplomacy, and despite the softening of relations between yokai in general and humans, there has been an implication of a significant number of yokai still willing to maintain their isolation, some violent and man-eating whiles others are apprehensive of humans.

However, the village has not embraced total isolation as villagers are allowed freedom of movement to leave the villages and journey into human settlements, not to mention the tradition of yokai traveling through said settlements during the Night Parade.

Additionally, the village makes use of the Monster World Postal Services to deliver mail around the world, including towards yokai that live amongst humans internationally.

Diplomacy among other Yokai villages is unknown at the moment. Speculations on the relationship with the various villages can only be made, ranging from open trade and defense pacts when factoring in humanity to a state of heightened tensions and distrust as shown by Osamu and his parade tensing when encountering a parade lead by a nine-tailed kitsune.

=Economy=

The Village of Yureimoto continued the agricultural production of rice farming to support its own market economy, although in the present time, the village has diversified its crops and became a yokai trading center. It should also be mentioned that kitchen appliances have been shown in the village, yet it is unknown if this is evidence of yokai engaging in fair trade with humans, garbage picking, or stealing and selling them onto a black market.

Yokai do have a form of currency based on their usage of coins, most likely using the Japanese Yen for their national currency.

=Infrastructure=

The Village of Yureimoto lacks any development on transportation infrastructure. Instead, travel is limited to walking on foot, but those having the ability to travel through other means, such as flight or climbing on walls, make use of them. Furthermore is the possibility of using the river for additional transportation, whether by swimming or using small boats.

Devoid of any natural defenses or the man-made structures of walls and moats, the village likely sees them as unnecessary, operating shrines and wards to keep the village cloaked from humans while maintaining relative peace with other Yokai villages.

Energy
Despite the outward appearance of backwardness in the village, there is evidence of using energy to meet their electronic needs, such as the Yureimoto Manor's elevator, use of a cooking stove, or a running fridge.

Possible energy sources include continuous use of magic and spells, using human or yokai souls as alternative fuels, secretly connecting to the Japanese energy grid, or using a form of hydroenergy.

=Demographics=

Having massacred all of the previous inhabitants, all of which were humans, the village is exclusively made up of Yokai. Being a heavily diverse group, Yokai, both documented by the Japanese as well as undiscovered types of yokai, inhabit the village.

The most spoken and written language within the village is Japanese, with English spoken by a select few. It is unknown what specific dialect the Yokai speak in.

Education
Although education is largely an unexplored aspect of the village, the mention of a high school suggests that either Osamu or the villagers have established and modeled their education system off the Japanese's. Higher education is likely exclusive to either the rich merchants or the Yureimoto's.

=Culture=

Living alongside the Japanese for centuries, in addition to cases of former Japanese humans transforming into one of many types of Yokai, has shaped the culture of both groups to be shared. However, outside of human limitation, it is difficult to draw the line of which cultural aspect originated from which group.

Regardless, for the majority of Yokai, exposure to the rest of the world is limited to only through what Japan imports into its island. Such can be seen by Yokai influenced by Taoism and Confucianism from China, the religions shaping their spirituality and philosophy in combination with their native Shinto, as well as introducing and diversifying their magical arts.

The architecture of the village has maintained a uniform look, all of which derive from traditional Japanese architecture.

For their cuisine, Yokai are allowed more diverse and unconventional food and beverage choices, examples including snake venom, pig's blood, scorpion acid, frog warts, snail slime, dragon urine, snail sludge, bat wings, stingray tails, moon dragon's blood, and rat snake fangs. Rocks as food should also be mentioned.

Traditional clothing entails wearing kimonos, but there have been instances of Yokai, especially among the youth, wearing western clothing.

The hierarchy of the village has fallen to at least three distinct categories based on occupation: the royal family, the servants (including but not limited to maids, janitors, cooks, butlers, elevator operators, guards, etc.), and the villagers. Untouchables likely include human-yokai hybrids and humans (with exceptions to Erma and Samuel Williams, the respective daughter and husband to Emiko Williams).

=References=
 * The Family Reunion
 * The Search
 * The Recounted Days
 * The Night Parade
 * Fathers and Daughters
 * Tale of Osamu Yureimoto
 * Book of Yokai
 * Spirit Blooms
 * Erma TV Tropes
 * Japan Wikipedia Article