Aquarian Age ( アクエリアンエイジ , Akuerian Eiji ) is an out-of-print Japanese collectible trading card game . It is marketed and produced by Broccoli , which produces games and Anime -related goods.
98-483: In the game, the player takes the role of a "Mindbreaker", who can control and unlock the powers of the game characters. The goal is to defeat other Mindbreakers (players) and to grow stronger. The game continues until the player has defeated all of their opponents, or has been stripped of their powers; thus being knocked out of the game. Unlike similar TCG, the player fields game characters instead of spells. They must gain control over each character before it can be used in
196-553: A 15.7% lower enrollment into college from high school. Due to this noticeable and growing gap, the Japanese government has been lobbied by activists to research the Ainu's standard of living nationwide. The Japanese government will provide ¥ 7 million ( US$ 63,000), beginning in 2015, to conduct surveys nationwide on this matter. The existence of the Ainu has challenged the notion of ethnic homogeneity in post-WWII Japan . After
294-404: A 1591 Latin manuscript titled De yezorum insula . This document gives the native name of Hokkaido as Aino moxori , or Ainu mosir , 'land of the Ainu'. The terms Aino and Ainu did not come into common use as ethnonyms until the early 19th century. The ethnonym first appeared in an 1819 German encyclopedia article. Neither European nor Japanese sources conceived of the Ainu as
392-410: A battle gains the loser's power—the members of Arayashiki, WIZ-DOM, Darklore, E.G.O. and Eraser previously under the loser's control. Precisely how a Mindbreaker controls one of these factions, much less how they can awaken the new powers within them, is still unknown. Speculation ranges anywhere from advanced psionic powers to emotional attachment. There's no single rule to explain this ability yet, but
490-411: A claim that it plans to eradicate humanity. All that is known is that they are completely alien to the other factions, and for some reason, has decided to involve itself in their power struggles. Physical descriptions of Eraser vary, but the most notable are the 'Angels', that appear very much like the human interpretation of angels, and their immediate subordinates, a reptiloid race that have been called
588-537: A counterbalance to the other. Arayashiki represented the mysticism of the Eastern world. WIZ-DOM subsisted on the magicks of the Western world. Finally there were the inhuman Darklore, from which tales of were-beasts and changelings abound. Each faction, however, sought also to duel with the others for control and power. Using both their abilities, and their influence over those they controlled, these forces caused many of
686-619: A distinct ethnic group until the late 1700s. The Ainu were also called the Kuye by their neighbors. The Qing dynasty called Sakhalin Kuyedao ("island of the Ainu"). The island was also called Kuye Fiyaka . The word Kuye used by the Qing is "most probably related to kuyi , the name given to the Sakhalin Ainu by their Nivkh and Nanai neighbors." When the Ainu migrated onto
784-582: A fur tribute system, just as had the Yuan and Ming dynasties. Residents who were required to pay tributes had to register according to their hala ( ᡥᠠᠯᠠ , the clan of the father's side) and gashan ( ᡤᠠᡧᠠᠨ , village), and a designated chief of each unit was put in charge of district security as well as the annual collection and delivery of fur. By 1750, fifty-six hala and 2,398 households were registered as fur tribute payers, – those who paid with fur were rewarded mainly with Nishiki silk brocade , and every year
882-428: A game. If a player is unable to control a character properly, it may turn on them. The Aquarian Age franchise now supports a PlayStation game, a comic book, and a TV series; Aquarian Age: Sign for Evolution featuring a musical score by composer Yuki Kajiura . As far as the history of humanity is concerned, there has always been war. Conflicts overt and covert, known and secret, battles fought that would influence
980-601: A given species. The creatures of the Darklore faction want the world that was once theirs back, basically to retake earth from what they see as the human taint. Their principal enemies are the WIZ-DOM and Arayashiki, with whom they have fought for centuries. The group E.G.O. is the newest faction to enter the conflict. They claim to be the next level of human evolution, and possess powerful psionic abilities. Also siding with them are androids (artificial humanoids) and cyborgs,
1078-517: A group composed mostly of the Ulchi , Nanai , and Oroch peoples of the Amur River, commonly interacted with the Ainu people independent of the Japanese government, especially in the northern part of Hokkaido. In addition to their trading ventures, Santan traders sometimes kidnapped or purchased Ainu women from Rishiri to become their wives. This further escalated Japan's presence in the area, as
SECTION 10
#17327795681291176-489: A group of men and women who have an odd ability; the power to unlock the potential powers of the Arayashiki, WIZ-DOM, Darklore, E.G.O., and even Eraser factions, as well as to somehow gain control of them. They are not a faction like the other five, since each Mindbreaker has his or her own goals and purposes to achieve, as well as methods to achieve them. This often leads Mindbreakers to battle each other. The victor of such
1274-725: A hundred thousand years before the Children of the Sun came." The historical Ainu economy was based on farming as well as hunting, fishing, and gathering. The general consensus among historians is to associate the Ainu with the Satsumon culture , which was located in an area stretching from northern Honshu to Hokkaido. Linguists such as Juha Janhunen and Alexander Vovin argue for a Satsumon origin of Ainu dialects, with deeper links to cultures centered in Central or Northern Honshu . This
1372-477: A large battlefleet and that this is but one of the many planets they have encountered. It is possible that Eraser is studying the other four factions and the Mindbreakers (especially the latter, due to their unique abilities), but as to what reason, one can only hazard a guess. The Erasers are engaged mostly in fighting the E.G.O. The older factions, occupied with their own battles, take little notice of them;
1470-427: A parliamentary question on May 20, 2008, by stating, It is a historical fact that the Ainu are the earlier arrivers of the northern Japanese archipelago , in particular Hokkaido. The Japanese government acknowledges the Ainu to be an ethnic minority as it has maintained a unique cultural identity and has a unique language and religion. However, as there is no established international definition of "indigenous people",
1568-548: A reference to their hairiness and savagery. The term is considered an insult by contemporary Ainu. The Ainu are considered the native people of Hokkaido , southern Sakhalin , and the Kurils . Ainu toponyms support the historical view that the Ainu people lived in several places throughout northern Honshu. There is also a possibility that Ainu speakers lived throughout the Amur region as suggested by various Ainu loanwords found in
1666-576: A relatively isolated group of people to having their land, language, religion, and customs assimilated into those of the Japanese. Their land was distributed to the Yamato Japanese settlers to create and maintain farms in the model of Western industrial agriculture. It was known as "colonization" (拓殖) at the time, but later by the euphemism , "opening up undeveloped land" ( 開拓 [ jp ] ). Additionally, factories like flour mills and beer breweries, along with mining practices, resulted in
1764-644: A society of hunter-gatherers, surviving mainly by hunting and fishing. They followed a religion that was based on natural phenomena. After the Mongols conquered the Jin dynasty (1234) , Karafuto (Sakhalin)-Ainu suffered raids by the Nivkh and Udege peoples . In response, the Mongols established an administration post at Nurgan (present-day Tyr, Russia ) at the junction of the Amur and Amgun rivers in 1263, and forced
1862-550: A source of photographs of the Japanese and Ainu close to the missions. The discrimination and negative stereotypes assigned to the Ainu have manifested in lower levels of education, income, and participation in the economy as compared to their ethnically Japanese counterparts. The Ainu community in Hokkaido in 1993 received welfare payments at a 2.3 times higher rate than that of Hokkaido as a whole. They also had an 8.9% lower enrollment rate from junior high school to high school and
1960-503: A systems engineering programmer until 1992 that she decided to focus more on music. In 2002, See-Saw participated in another Mashimo's project, .hack//Sign . During the production of the series, Kajiura met Emily Bindiger and impressed by her vocals, offered her to perform over 10 of the series' insert songs. She has also jokingly called Bindiger "her English teacher" at Anime Expo 2003. In 2003, Kajiura signed with FlyingDog to form FictionJunction Yuuka with Yūka Nanri. In 2004,
2058-640: A talent for 25 years. She is now represented by FictionJunction Music, a talent agency she founded herself. Ainu people The Ainu are an indigenous ethnic group who reside in northern Japan and southeastern Russia, including Hokkaido and the Tōhoku region of Honshu, as well as the land surrounding the Sea of Okhotsk , such as Sakhalin , the Kuril Islands , the Kamchatka Peninsula , and
SECTION 20
#17327795681292156-595: A whole, with particular concentrations in Japan and China (two of the most socio-politically developed nations in the region). Typical Arayashiki skills include the ability to commune with spirits and nature, all inclined towards the Eastern forms of magic (such as onmyoujitsu). Some are even skilled with martial arts of varying types, as well as Eastern (particularly Japanese) archaic weaponry. Common types of Arayashiki are: Miko (Japanese shrine-maidens) and other spiritually-inclined occupations. Many martial arts practitioners of
2254-678: Is in part supported by Ainu-derived loanwords observed in Eastern Old Japanese and the probable distant link between the Ainu and the Emishi . It has also been noted that the Okhotsk culture played a role in the formation of the later Ainu culture. The origin of the Okhotsk culture itself is subject to research. While Okhotsk remains display affinity to the modern Nivkh people of northern Sakhalin, both also display affinities to
2352-410: Is of the western variety, skilled in a wide variety of occult practices. Common WIZ-DOM archetypes include sorceresses, alchemists, priestesses, knights, spirits and ghosts, and artificial beings (such as elementals and golems) created via magic. There are also a lot of scholars, as well as people proficient in fortune-telling techniques and archaic western weaponry. Western magic emphasises control over
2450-946: The History of Yuan , a group of people known as the Guwei ( 骨嵬 ; Gǔwéi , the phonetic approximation of the Nivkh name for Ainu) from Sakhalin invaded and fought with the Jilimi (Nivkh people) every year. On November 30, 1264, the Mongols attacked the Ainu. The Karafuto-Ainu resisted the Mongol invasions but by 1308 had been subdued. They paid tribute to the Mongol Yuan dynasty at posts in Wuliehe, Nanghar, and Boluohe. The Chinese Ming dynasty (1368–1644) placed Sakhalin under its "system for subjugated peoples" ( ximin tizhi ). From 1409 to 1411
2548-609: The Ainu language was forbidden. In 1966, there were about 300 native Ainu speakers; in 2008, there were about 100. In recent years, there have been increasing efforts to revitalize the Ainu language. This people's most widely known ethnonym , Ainu ( Ainu : アィヌ ; Japanese : アイヌ ; Russian: Айны ), means 'human' in the Ainu language , particularly as opposed to kamui , 'divine beings'. Ainu also identify themselves as Utari ('comrades' or 'people'). Official documents use both names. The name first appeared as Aino in
2646-788: The Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California, but was later canceled due to visa issues. In December 2017, a source reported to a news site, Sponchi Annex that Kajiura was planning to leave her agency, Spacecraft Produce, over contract disputes. In February 2018, Kajiura herself confirmed via her Twitter that she has officially left her agency. Kajiura has performed internationally at various anime conventions including Anime Expo 2003, Anime Boston 2009 (with Kalafina ), Anime Expo 2012 (with FictionJunction ), and Anime Expo 2018 (as part of Anisong World Matsuri). On February 22, 2018, her contract ended with SpaceCraft Produce after being
2744-597: The Jōmon peoples of Japan, pointing to a possible heterogeneous makeup of Okhotsk society. Satsumon pottery has been found among Okhotsk sites, pointing to a complex network of contacts in the wider area around the Sea of Okhotsk. The emergence of the Ainu culture is henceforth primarily attributed to the Satsumon culture, which later received some contributions from the Okhotsk culture via cultural contacts in northern Hokkaido after
2842-574: The Khabarovsk Krai . They have occupied these areas, known to them as "Ainu Mosir" ( Ainu : アイヌモシㇼ , lit. 'the land of the Ainu';), since before the arrival of the modern Yamato and Russians . These regions are often referred to as Ezochi ( 蝦夷地 ) and its inhabitants as Emishi ( 蝦夷 ) in historical Japanese texts. Along with the Yamato and Ryukyu ethnic groups,
2940-503: The Uilta and Ulch languages. Ainu shares a number of cognates with Old Korean , that appear to be unlikely to be the result of a Japonic intermediary. The ancestors of the Ainu, who were referred to as Emishi, came under Japanese subjugation starting in the 9th century and were pushed to the northern islands. Following the Zoku-Jōmon period , which began in the 5th century BC, and
3038-464: The indigenous Japanese hunter-gatherers who lived in Japan during the Jōmon period ( c. 14,000 to 300 BCE). The exact origins of the early Ainu remain unclear, but it is generally agreed to be linked to the Satsumon culture of the Epi-Jōmon period , with later influences from the nearby Okhotsk culture . The Ainu culture may be better described as an "Ainu cultural complex", taking into account
Aquarian Age - Misplaced Pages Continue
3136-539: The 'Dragoons'. They have technology advanced enough that androids, cyborgs, and clones have been manufactured, presumably to act as infiltrators studying the human race and are occasionally involved in the battles. E.G.O. has somehow managed to gain access to some of this technology, which may explain the existence of cyborgs and androids among the E.G.O. as well. Powers and skills among Angel Erasers vary, but they usually rely heavily on advanced science and technology, particularly weapons development. They also seem to possess
3234-430: The 1899 Hokkaido Former Aborigines Protection Act . This law and its associated policies were designed to fully integrate the Ainu into Japanese society while erasing Ainu culture and identity. The Ainu's position as manual laborers and their forced integration into larger Japanese society have led to discriminatory practices by the Japanese government that can still be felt today. Intermarriage between Japanese and Ainu
3332-629: The 18th century, there were 80,000 Ainu, but by 1868, there were only about 15,000 Ainu in Hokkaido, 2,000 in Sakhalin, and around 100 in the Kuril Islands. Despite their growing influence in the area in the early 19th century as a result of these policies, the Tokugawa shogunate was unable to gain a monopoly on Ainu trade with those on the Asian mainland, even by the year 1853. Santan traders,
3430-410: The Ainu as an ethnically distinct group, political figures in Japan continue to define ethnic homogeneity as key to the overall Japanese national identity. For example, then Deputy Prime Minister Tarō Asō notably claimed in 2020, "No other country but this one has lasted for as long as 2,000 years with one language, one ethnic group, and one dynasty ." The Ainu are regarded as having descended from
3528-430: The Ainu people are one of the primary historic ethnic groups of Japan . Official estimates place the total Ainu population in Japan at 25,000. Unofficial estimates place the total population at 200,000 or higher, as the near-total assimilation of the Ainu into Japanese society has resulted in many individuals of Ainu descent having no knowledge of their ancestry. The Ainu are one of the few ethnic minorities native to
3626-661: The Ainu') or "Kuye Fiyaka" ( ᡴᡠᠶᡝ ᡶᡳᠶᠠᡴᠠ ). The Manchus called it "Sagaliyan ula angga hada" (Island at the Mouth of the Black River). The Qing first asserted influence over Sakhalin after the 1689 Treaty of Nerchinsk , which defined the Stanovoy Mountains as the border between the Qing and the Russian Empires . In the following year the Qing sent forces to the Amur estuary and demanded that
3724-406: The Ainu. The Emishi may, however, have also included non-Ainu groups, which can either be associated with groups distantly related to the Ainu (Ainu-like groups) but forming their own ethnicity, or early Japonic-speakers outside the influence of the Yamato court. The Emishi display clear material culture links to the Ainu of Hokkaido. Based on Ainu-like toponyms throughout Tohoku, it is argued that
3822-475: The Aquarian Age is the age of great changes, during which the shape of humankind would never be the same. From this generation emerged a new breed of human, one with the ability to influence objects and other people with the mere power of their minds. Calling themselves E.G.O., this group of psionics claimed to represent the new evolution in humankind, a new faction that challenged the existing triumvirate for
3920-656: The Emishi, like the Ainu, descended from the Epi-Jōmon tribes and initially spoke Ainu-related languages. The term "Emishi" in the Nara period (710–794) referred to people who lived in the Tohoku region and whose lifestyle and culture differed markedly from that of the Yamato people ; it was originally a highly cultural and political concept with no racial distinction. From the mid-Heian period onward, Emishi who did not fall under
4018-509: The Erasers pay them little heed in return. But the Erasers wish to destroy humanity, and the E.G.O. - self-proclaimed guardians of humanity's future - have risen up to stop them. Towards the end of the first Aquarian Age Saga, Eraser has been driven off by the four Earthbound Factions and Mindbreakers. It is currently unknown whether they will return at a later date. The Mindbreakers are an interesting new group involved in this battle. They are
Aquarian Age - Misplaced Pages Continue
4116-694: The Japanese government and mainstream population regarded them as dirty and primitive barbarians. The majority of Ainu were forced to be petty laborers during the Meiji Restoration , which saw the introduction of Hokkaido into the Japanese Empire and the privatization of traditional Ainu lands. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the Japanese government denied the rights of the Ainu to their traditional cultural practices, such as hunting, gathering, and speaking their native language. The legal denial of Ainu cultural practices mostly stemmed from
4214-408: The Japanese government passed an act labeling the Ainu as "former aborigines", with the idea that they would assimilate . This resulted in the Japanese government taking the land where the Ainu people lived and placing it under Japanese control. Also at this time, the Ainu were granted automatic Japanese citizenship, effectively denying them the status of an indigenous group. The Ainu went from being
4312-483: The Japanese islands. They were subject to forced assimilation and colonization by the Japanese since at least the 18th century. Japanese assimilation policies in the 19th century around the Meiji Restoration included forcing Ainu peoples off their land. This, in turn, forced them to give up traditional ways of life such as subsistence hunting and fishing. Ainu people were not allowed to practice their religion and were placed into Japanese-language schools, where speaking
4410-493: The Jomon and Epi-Jomon periods, which were anterior to the Ainu cultural period. This implies that the Okhotsk culture contributed to the formation of the Ainu culture. While the view that the ancient Emishi were identical to the Ainu has been largely disproven by current research, the exact relationship between them is still under dispute. It is agreed that at least some Emishi spoke Ainu languages and were ethnically related to
4508-614: The Matsumae, took control of Sakhalin in 1807. Mogami's interest in the Sakhalin trade intensified when he learned that Yaenkoroaino, the above-mentioned elder from Nayoro, possessed a memorandum written in Manchurian, which stated that the Ainu elder was an official of the Qing state. Later surveys on Sakhalin by shogunal officials such as Takahashi Jidayú and Nakamura Koichiró only confirmed earlier observations: Sakhalin and Sóya Ainu traded foreign goods at trading posts, and because of
4606-865: The Ming established an outpost called the Nurgan Regional Military Commission near the ruins of Tyr on the Siberian mainland, which continued operating until the mid-1430s. There is some evidence that the Ming eunuch Admiral Yishiha reached Sakhalin in 1413 during one of his expeditions to the lower Amur, and granted Ming titles to a local chieftain. The Ming recruited headmen from Sakhalin for administrative posts such as commander ( 指揮使 ; zhǐhuīshǐ ), assistant commander ( 指揮僉事 ; zhǐhuī qiānshì ), and "official charged with subjugation" ( 衛鎮撫 ; wèizhènfǔ ). In 1431, one such assistant commander, Alige, brought marten pelts as tribute to
4704-855: The Ming took tribute from Sakhalin and the Amur River region. Due to Ming rule in Manchuria, Chinese cultural and religious influence such as Chinese New Year , the " Chinese god ", and motifs such as dragons, spirals, and scrolls spread among the Ainu, Nivkh, and Amur natives such as the Udeghes , Ulchis , and Nanais . These groups also adopted material goods and practices such as agriculture, husbandry, heating, iron cooking pots, silk, and cotton. The Manchu Qing dynasty , which came to power in China in 1644, called Sakhalin "Kuyedao" ( Chinese : 库页岛 ; pinyin : Kùyè dǎo ; lit. 'island of
4802-457: The Qing dynasty when the Qing exercised jurisdiction in Sakhalin and took tribute from them. In 1635, Matsumae Kinhiro , the second daimyō of Matsumae Domain in Hokkaidō, sent Satō Kamoemon and Kakizaki Kuroudo on an expedition to Sakhalin. One of the Matsumae explorers, Kodō Shōzaemon, stayed in the island in the winter of 1636 and sailed along the east coast to Taraika (now Poronaysk ) in
4900-418: The Qing office. The Ainu also sold the silk uniforms ( mangpao , bufu , and chaofu ) given to them by the Qing, which made up the majority of what the Japanese knew as nishiki and jittoku . As dynastic uniforms, the silk was of considerably higher quality than that traded at Nagasaki , and enhanced Matsumae prestige as exotic items. Eventually the Tokugawa government, realizing that they could not depend on
4998-450: The Qing sent officials directly to these regions every year to collect tribute and to present awards. By the 1730s, the Qing had appointed senior figures among the indigenous communities as "clan chief" ( hala-i-da ) or "village chief" ( gasan-da or mokun-da ). In 1732, 6 hala , 18 gasban , and 148 households were registered as tribute bearers in Sakhalin. Manchu officials gave tribute missions rice, salt, other necessities, and gifts during
SECTION 50
#17327795681295096-450: The Satsumon culture expanded northwards and into Sakhalin. This view has been corroborated by later analyses. Archaeologists have considered that bear worship, which is a religious practice widely observed among the northern Eurasian ethnic groups (including the Ainu, Finns, Nivkh, and Sami), was also shared by the Okhotsk people. On the other hand, no traces of such a religious practice have ever been discovered from archaeological sites of
5194-537: The Tokugawa shogunate believed a monopoly on the Santan trade would better protect the Ainu people. In 1869, the imperial government established the Hokkaidō Development Commission as part of the Meiji Restoration . Researcher Katarina Sjöberg quotes Baba 's 1890 account of the Japanese government's reasoning: ... The development of Japan's large northern island had several objectives: First, it
5292-504: The WIZ-DOM. The name "Arayashiki" most likely comes from the Japanese word for the Buddhist Yogacharan concept of a store consciousness , the idea that karmic occurrences are "stored" in the unconscious and affect our karma and perceptions of the world. The members of WIZ-DOM represent western magery, which includes (but is not limited to) pagan, druidic, and even kabbalistic magic. These will be quite familiar to people in
5390-578: The Wuliehe post. In 1437, four other assistant commanders (Zhaluha, Sanchiha, Tuolingha, and Alingge) also presented tribute. According to the Ming Veritable Records , these posts, like the position of headman, were hereditary and passed down the patrilineal line. During these tributary missions, the headmen would bring their sons, who later inherited their titles. In return for tribute, the Ming awarded them with silk uniforms. Nivkh women in Sakhalin married Han Chinese Ming officials when
5488-521: The conflict, Earth is placed under the unified rule of the Polestar Empire. However, peace is shattered when the Empire begins to use forbidden magic. These dark powers cause dimensional rifts around the world and once again plunge Earth into chaos and warfare. Aquarian Age was adapted into an animated Japanese television series , Aquarian Age: Sign for Evolution . The Arayashiki represent
5586-428: The creation of infrastructure such as roads and railway lines during a development period that lasted until 1904. During this time, the Ainu were ordered to cease religious practices such as animal sacrifice and the custom of tattooing. The same act applied to the native Ainu on Sakhalin after its annexation as Karafuto Prefecture . The Ainu have historically suffered from economic and social discrimination, as both
5684-401: The cutting edge of technology—or ahead of it). Typical skills and powers include proficiency with modern or even futuristic (probably more Eraser technology) weapons, knowledge of cybernetics, telekinesis and other psychic powers, and genetic enhancements (Eraser/human hybrids, for example). The E.G.O. claim to fight for the next generation, for the future of humanity, and they see themselves as
5782-549: The demise of the multi-ethnic Empire of Japan in 1945, successive governments forged a single Japanese identity by advocating monoculturalism and denying the existence of more than one ethnic group in Japan. Following the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2007, Hokkaido politicians pressured the government to recognize Ainu rights. Prime Minister Fukuda Yasuo answered
5880-551: The duo produced the opening and ending songs for Kōichi Mashimo's Madlax and in the next year, published their first collaborative album, Destination . In 2008, Kajiura signed with SME Records to form Kalafina . The group consists of Wakana Ootaki, Keiko Kubota, and Hikaru Masai. In 2009, Kajiura started a new project called FictionJunction . Unlike FictionJunction Yuuka, vocalists in this project were not fixed. This project involves collaboration with artists such as Wakana Ootaki, Asuka Kato, and Kaori Oda. In October 2007, it
5978-468: The duration of their mission. Tribute missions occurred during the summer months. During the reign of the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1735–95), a trade post existed at Delen, upstream of Kiji (Kizi) Lake, according to Rinzo Mamiya . There were 500–600 people at the market during Mamiya's stay there. Local native Sakhalin chiefs had their daughters taken as wives by Manchu officials as sanctioned by
SECTION 60
#17327795681296076-550: The dynasty supplied the chief of each clan and village with official silk clothes ( mangpao , duanpao ), which were the gowns of the mandarin. Those who offered especially large fur tributes were granted the right to create a familial relationship with officials of the Manchu Eight Banners (at the time equivalent to Chinese aristocrats) by marrying an official's adopted daughter. Further, the tribute payers were allowed to engage in trade with officials and merchants at
6174-456: The eastern mages, primarily the onmyouji, who practice magic in theory with the Tao (Yin and Yang). Most of the members of this group seem to primarily represent Japanese mystics, but Chinese (and maybe even Indian) mages are included as well. Although not as widespread as E.G.O., most Arayashiki members are quite commonly found, even ignored, in modern Asian society. Most of their kind occupy Asia as
6272-478: The embodiment of that future. They harass the Erasers frequently, and generally take a dim view of the three "old" factions, on account of them being outdated. NOTE: The name E.G.O. was originally coined for an all-female group, or "Evolutionary Girls Organization". With the Juvenile Orion expansion and its all-male additional characters, this just didn't jibe. As of the second series (Aquarian Age Saga II),
6370-446: The esoteric bent, especially the infamous Ninja, are also surprisingly common among them as bodyguards and spies. Of particular note is that members of the Ainu indigenous tribes of northern Japan also figure quite strongly with them. The remainder of the Arayashiki consist of spirits, especially those of various Asian mythological figures. The Arayashiki are highly traditionalist, and clash constantly with their direct western opposite,
6468-552: The government is not in a position to conclude whether the Ainu should be referred as "indigenous people"... On June 6, 2008, the National Diet of Japan passed a non-binding, bipartisan resolution calling upon the government to recognize the Ainu as indigenous people . In 2019, eleven years after this resolution, the Diet finally passed an act recognizing the Ainu as an indigenous people of Japan. Despite this recognition of
6566-438: The great battles humanity knows as part of its bloodstained history. Today, two millennia since it had begun, these three forces were locked in stalemate. The year 2000 AD, the opening of the 21st century. The Age of Aquarius which astrologers had long since foretold, had finally arrived. Some believe it to be an age of peace, a new world order. Others proclaim it as the coming of the biblical end times. Whatever truth it would be,
6664-477: The group will include both male and female members, and henceforth will be referred to as the "Evolutionary Generation Organization". The final faction is known as Eraser, the only non-earth based faction. This is the name assigned to them by the other four factions, due to their sheer power. Despite all this power, and their open hostility towards the other four factions, Eraser's true origins are unknown, their actions intermittent, and their motives unclear, save for
6762-400: The histories of future generations. Across centuries, three secret but powerful organizations have fought for control, even as mere mortal forces struggled with their own petty wars and attempts at grandeur. These three forces have worked to shape mankind's destiny with their powers of magery, savagery, and mysticism all the while keeping away from the eyes of those they control. Each force was
6860-484: The magical forces (as opposed to the emphasis on harmony espoused by Eastern magic and shamanism). WIZ-DOM considers the Arayashiki their mortal enemy. They fight for their own ways and their own homelands and care little for anything else. Well, except power, that is. The Darklore faction consists of demihumans and monsters. Under these are the werewolves and other were-creatures, as well as non-humans such as faeries, mermaids and (possibly) elves. Theoretically, they may be
6958-663: The mainland, the Chinese described a "strong Kui (or Kuwei, Kuwu, Kuye, Kugi, i.e. Ainu) presence in the area otherwise dominated by the Gilemi or Jilimi (Nivkh and other Amur peoples)." Related names were in widespread use in the region, for example the Kuril Ainu called themselves koushi . The Old Japanese exonym 蝦夷 ( Emi 1 si ) was coined according to the Kojiki-den from 蝦 ("shrimp") + 夷 ("barbarian") as
7056-415: The midst of this new turmoil was thrown a new and unquantified faction. From the heavens came an alien force of great power, their apparent goal to destroy the human species. Despite this, these aliens have not openly attacked, alternating between study of the four factions and the Mindbreakers, and actively participating in the battles. This mysterious force with no clear goals or purpose, was dubbed Eraser by
7154-405: The more human members of Darklore (such as lycanthropes, which change from beast to human at will) can assimilate with human society. Everything but angels and dragons can be lumped under Darklore. Some ancient gods including Ba'al are included as Darklore Typical skills vary widely, depending on race and disposition, but there's a lot of magical power to be found here, usually magic inherent to
7252-454: The most part. They can be schoolchildren, celebrities, military personnel, teachers, scientists, police, criminals (!), or even menial laborers (waiters/waitresses, maids, etc.). One would never really if the person you're talking to know was part of E.G.O. Assorted androids and cyborgs (presumably taken from Eraser) are also among them, well-hidden. E.G.O. members with occupations tend to be "the best in their fields" (for instance, scientists on
7350-413: The music for several popular anime series, such as Sword Art Online , Puella Magi Madoka Magica , Fate/Zero , The Garden of Sinners , Pandora Hearts and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba . As a composer, Kajiura is known for her unique and distinctive musical motifs and leitmotifs , as well as for her distinctive fusion of contemporary classical music and electronic music . Kajiura
7448-409: The oldest faction among the five, hinting at a pre-human background, but this is still to be confirmed. An extremely varied faction, Darklore is a conglomeration of ancient, forgotten races. Elves, lycanthropes (were-creatures), demons, mermaids, vampires, oni, fairies, even undead. Almost every beast or creature recounted in tales and myths can draw their origin from Darklore sightings. Obviously, only
7546-464: The other factions due to their terrifying power. During the chaotic period known in Western astrology as the Aquarian Age, the alien ERASER fleet attacks Earth, ravaging cities. However, a counteroffensive is launched. The four factions - ARAYASHIKI, WIZ-DOM, DARKLORE, and E.G.O. - who have previously been fighting each other for control of Earth, join forces to defeat the ERASERS. In the aftermath of
7644-566: The population. In an early colonization attempt, a Japanese settlement was established at Ōtomari on Sakhalin's southern end in 1679. In the 1780s, the influence of the Japanese Tokugawa Shogunate on the Ainu of southern Sakhalin increased significantly. By the beginning of the 19th century, the Japanese economic zone extended midway up the east coast, to Taraika. With the exception of the Nayoro Ainu located on
7742-500: The power to create "miracles", such as the ability to stop time. The Dragoon Erasers are much simpler (one may say brutish)--they are an out and out warrior race; when they do use high technology, it's almost always in the form of weapons given to them by the Angels. The androids, cyborgs and clones do whatever the Erasers design them to do, and that covers a wide range of tasks. There have been many references hinting that Eraser possesses
7840-425: The power to shape destiny. Another group also emerged; Individuals who have the gift to both empower and control members of the other factions, and using them to fight their battles. This unaligned group's members gained control of agents from the previous groups, just as those factions once did mortal men. These were the Mindbreakers, who were loyal to no one but themselves, and served their own personal agendas. In
7938-480: The presence of a mindbreaker favoring a member of the previously mentioned factions is often enough to tip the balance in a battle. In the Saga II game, the player assumes the role of Mindbreaker, controlling the characters through use of cards. The "Empire" faction is a group of invaders from another dimension, another Earth with a different history. They are fantasy-inspired characters, such as knights, dragons and
8036-604: The pressure to meet quotas, they fell into debt. These goods, the officials confirmed, originated at Qing posts, where continental traders acquired them during tributary ceremonies. The information contained in these types of reports turned out to be a serious blow to the future of Matsumae's trade monopoly in Ezo. From 1799 to 1806, the Tokugawa shogunate took direct control of southern Hokkaido. Japan proclaimed sovereignty over Sakhalin in 1807, and in 1809 Mamiya Rinzō claimed that it
8134-490: The regional variable subgroups of Ainu peoples. While the Ainu can be considered a continuation of the indigenous Jomon culture, they also display links to surrounding cultures, pointing to a larger cultural complex flourishing around the Sea of Okhotsk . Some authors have also described the development of the Ainu culture as the "resistance" of a Jomon society to the emerging Japanese state. One of their Yukar Upopo , or legends, tells that "[T]he Ainu lived in this place
8232-428: The residents, including the Sakhalin Ainu, pay tribute. This was followed by several further visits to the island as part of the Qing effort to map the area. To enforce its influence, the Qing sent soldiers and mandarins across Sakhalin, reaching most parts of the island except the southern tip. The Qing imposed a fur-tribute system on the region's inhabitants. The Qing dynasty ruled these regions by imposing upon them
8330-706: The southeastern or Hidaka region of Hokkaido where ethnic Ainu live, such as in Nibutani ( Niputay ). From the early 1870s, Christian missionary work was conducted among the Ainu. The Anglican Communion missionaries included the Rt. Rev. Philip Fyson , Bishop of Hokkaido , and the Rev. John Batchelor . Batchelor wrote extensively in English about the beliefs and daily life of the Ainu in Yezo (or Ezo ), and his publications are
8428-447: The spring of 1637. The Tokugawa bakufu (feudal government) granted the Matsumae clan exclusive rights to trade with the Ainu in the northern part of the island. Later, the Matsumae began to lease out trading rights to Japanese merchants, and contact between Japanese and Ainu became more extensive. Throughout this period, Ainu groups competed with each other to import goods from the Japanese, and epidemic diseases such as smallpox reduced
8526-594: The submission of the two peoples. In 1264, the Krafuto-Ainu invaded the land of the Nivkh people. They also started an expedition into the Amur region, which was then controlled by the Yuan dynasty , resulting in reprisals by the Mongols who invaded Sakhalin . From the Nivkh perspective, their surrender to the Mongols essentially established a military alliance against the Ainu who had invaded their lands. According to
8624-563: The subsequent Satsumon period , from around the 13th century the Ainu established their own culture by absorbing the surrounding culture while engaging in transit trade between Honshu and north-east Asia. This is called the Ainu Culture period or Nibutani period. Active contact between the Wa-jin (ethnonym for Japanese, also known as Yamato people) and the Ainu of Ezogashima (now known as Hokkaidō ) began in this period. The Ainu formed
8722-447: The technology of whom might have been taken from Eraser. It's interesting to note that most E.G.O. members appear to be the youngest among those involved in this fight, most of them barely in their late teens yet possessing extensive psionic abilities, among other skills. E.G.O. members are in plain sight and never seen. This is because unlike the isolationist WIZ-DOM or the inhuman Darklore, they are quite sociable, human, and ordinary for
8820-542: The tribute location. By these policies, the Qing dynasty brought political stability to the region and established the basis for commerce and economic development. The Qing dynasty established an office in Ningguta , situated midway along the Mudan River , to handle fur from the lower Amur and Sakhalin. Tribute was supposed to be brought to regional offices, but the lower Amur and Sakhalin were considered too remote, so
8918-483: The undead. Like Eraser, their ultimate goals are unknown. The Empire faction was introduced in the Saga II series, a 'reboot' of the Aquarian Age card game that integrates the male characters seen in Juvenile Orion with regular Aquarian age gameplay. Yuki Kajiura Yuki Kajiura ( 梶浦 由記 , Kajiura Yuki , born August 6, 1965) is a Japanese composer, arranger and music producer. She has provided
9016-480: The west coast in close proximity to China, most Ainu stopped paying tribute to the Qing dynasty. The Matsumae clan was nominally in charge of Sakhalin, but they neither protected nor governed the Ainu there. Instead they extorted the Ainu for Chinese silk, which they sold in Honshu as Matsumae's special product. To obtain Chinese silk, the Ainu fell into debt, owing much fur to the Santan ( Ulch people ), who lived near
9114-564: The west, as they go by many terms such as witches, warlocks, wizards, and all other European-influenced symbols of magery. WIZ-DOM members hail from all sects of western magic. Some might even be disguised as clerics of an established religion; although whether they are really part of these religions (WIZ-DOM members have been seen in both Catholic and Protestant denominations), it remains to be seen whether these are genuine alliances or mere cover for their true nature. WIZ-DOM members seem to be rather isolated from most of society. Since their magic
9212-444: Was actively promoted by the Ainu to lessen the chances of discrimination against their offspring. As a result, many Ainu today are indistinguishable from their Japanese neighbors, but some Ainu-Japanese are interested in traditional Ainu culture. For example, Oki , born as the child of an Ainu father and a Japanese mother, became a musician who plays the traditional Ainu instrument, the tonkori . There are also many small towns in
9310-415: Was an island. During this period, Ainu women were separated from their husbands and either subjected to rape or forcibly married to Japanese men. Meanwhile, Ainu men were deported to merchant subcontractors for five- and ten-year terms of service. Policies of family separation and assimilation, combined with the impact of smallpox, caused the Ainu population to drop significantly in the early 19th century. In
9408-691: Was announced that Yuki Kajiura would be attending the performances of the Eminence Orchestra 's concert, 'A Night in Fantasia 2007 – Symphonic Anime Edition', as a special guest. The 2014 series Aldnoah.Zero 's opening theme "Heavenly Blue" was composed by Kajiura and was performed by Kalafina . In July 2016, Aniplex of America announced that the “Yuki Kajiura LIVE ~featuring SWORD ART ONLINE~” concert that took place in March 2016 in Japan would be having an additional date on January 14, 2017, at
9506-511: Was born on August 6, 1965, in Tokyo , Japan. She has been into music since 1972 and accompanying her father on the piano. Her family later moved to West Germany because of her father's work. Kajiura wrote her first composition when she was seven years old titled " Thank you, Good-bye" as a farewell for her grandmother before leaving Japan. Kajiura moved back to Japan when she was in middle school and later graduated from college. She began working as
9604-547: Was seen as a means to defend Japan from a rapidly developing and expansionist Russia . Second ... it offered a solution to the unemployment for the former samurai class ... Finally, development promised to yield the needed natural resources for a growing capitalist economy. As a result of the Treaty of Saint Petersburg (1875) , the Kuril Islands—along with their Ainu inhabitants—came under Japanese administration. In 1899,
#128871