The Eastern Country

The Eastern Country is the Easternmost of the Three Countries, and includes the Three Countries' land border with the rest of the Eight Islands, the High Cloud mountain range. Although geographically the largest of the three regions, it is the least populated overall. Its' largest settlement and capitol is the city of Inuyama.

The Eastern Country was historically ruled by the Tohan Clan. After the Kakizuki-Miboshi civil war, Emperor Yoshimori rewarded his longtime friend, Iida no Saru, by making him head of that clan and ruler of the East. While Saru's successors bore the Iida name, they and their warriors were still referred to as the Tohan clan and wore the Tohan crest, as Iida no Saru presumably married a daughter of the Tohan family.

By the time of the events of Tales of the Otori, the Tohan had gained a reputation for warfare and for cruelly persecuting the Hidden. Following Iida Sadamu's victory at the controversial Battle of Yaegahara, the Eastern Country's fief extended well into the Middle Country, absorbing the major settlements of Yamagata, Kushimoto, Chigawa and the temple complex at Terayama, as well as taking the Noguchi clan as their vassals in the south. Their rule, while maintaining some kind of peace, was characterized by heavy taxation, agricultural mismanagement, unrest among discontented farmers, miners and townspeople in the former Otori lands, and systematic persecution of outcasts and the Hidden. Border watchtowers and checkpoints were constructed along the roads of the Eastern Country to increase its' security.

After Sadamu's sudden fall and the conquest of Inuyama by Arai Daiichi, nearly all the Eastern Country (as well as its' conquests in the Middle Country) fell under Arai control, although many of the Tohan continued to resist for some time. By the time of the Battle of Hagi, all the Tohan claimants and their warriors had been killed, and the Arai were restricted to their former domain of Kumamoto. Otori Takeo, now overlord of the Three Countries, appointed the Sunoda clan (former vassals of the Arai) to govern the Eastern Country under his leadership.

The Tribe were historically most active in the Eastern Country, particularly the Kikuta family. Under the increasingly ruthless rule of the Tohan, it was easy for them to find employment as spies and assassins. After Takeo's victory at the Battle of Hagi, most of the non-Kikuta Tribe in the East either defected to Takeo or were rooted out thanks to his possession of Shigeru's Tribe records. The surviving members of the Kikuta continued their blood feud against Takeo and retreated to a secret Tribe village in the High Cloud Range.

Settlements mentioned:

 * Inuyama: the capital of the Eastern Country and its' only city. Becomes the capital of the Three Countries under Iida Sadamu and Arai Daiichi. Contains the largest and most elaborate castle in the Three Countries. The seat of the Tohan clan until their destruction; briefly becomes the capitol of the Arai Clan under Arai Daiichi, but is subsequently granted to the Sunoda Clan by Otori Takeo.
 * Hinode: A small town to the north of Mino, famous for its' hot springs
 * Matsue: a minor port town on the northern coast.  The seat of the Yoshida Clan, containing many businesses and residences belonging to the Tribe, especially the Kikuta.
 * Mino: a secret village in the southeast of the country, largely populated by the Hidden. Destroyed by Iida Sadamu in Across the Nightingale Floor.