Tojima Prefecture

Tojima Prefecture (/ˈtɒdʒɪmə/, Japanese: 東島州 Hepburn: Tōjima-shū, lit. Eastern Islands Prefecture, abbreviated as TJ) is an island prefecture in far eastern Enderron. It is the only Enderronian prefecture comprised entirely of islands. It is the seventh-largest prefecture by area and the fourth-most populous. The prefecture encompasses Tojima Island (referred to as "mainland Tojima"), Harvey Island and approximately 30 smaller islands. It is linked by the Tojorado Tunnel and Skygate Bridge to New Colorado Prefecture to the west. Its capital and largest city is Shirakawa, which is home to 71 percent of the prefecture's population.

The first humans in Tojima were the Native Marianans. The Japanese Tojima Colony was established in 1575, approximately 300 years after the Native Marianans arrived, comprising modern Tojima Prefecture as well as parts of modern New Colorado and Batavia. In 1625, the colony became the Japanese Tojima Territory, a condominium between the Japanese colonists and the newly arrived English settlers. After the English victory in the Mariana War of 1692 and subsequent expulsion of other foreign powers from Mariana, Tojima was ruled solely by the English (and later British) colonial government. Unlike the colonial residents of other non-British colonies, most Tojiman settlers were not expelled, and Tojima enjoyed special autonomy and laws, although as it was a territory it was not represented in the national legislature. In 1892 it became the tenth territory to enter the Enderronian union as a county. Due to its autonomy, it largely maintained its own immigration policies and intake, and as a result has always retained a significant Asian population.

Tojima is a highly popular destination for domestic and international tourists thanks to its unique culture, a fusion of East Asian and Western European influences, as well as its warm subtropical climate, diverse natural scenery, abundance of public beaches and resorts, and oceanic surroundings. Because of its history as a Japanese colony and relative geographical isolation from the rest of Enderron, Tojima developed a distinct culture with significantly different demographics to other prefectures; Tojima is one of two prefectures with an Asian Enderronian majority, the other being Longshan Prefecture. It is the only prefecture with a Japanese Enderronian plurality (36.3 percent). More than a quarter of Japanese Enderronians live in Tojima alone.

History
TBA

Government
Tojima has a semi-presidential political system, with the Governor of Tojima Prefecture (currently Dawn Yamamoto of Tojima First) as the head of state, and the Premier of Tojima Prefecture (currently Jason Calderon of the Social Democratic Party of Enderron) as the head of government. Its unicameral parliament consists of the 64-member Tojima Prefectural Assembly, with elections held every four years, using full preferential voting.

Federal representation
Tojima elects 14 Members of Parliament to the Enderronian Parliament.

Political culture
Tojima has a relatively unique political culture compared to the rest of Enderron, largely due to its distinct and large Asian Enderronian population and unique history. Localism, regionalism and matters concerning language and multiculturalism are the salient issues of Tojiman politics. Tojima has three major parties: the centre-left Tojima Social Democratic Party, the centre-right Liberal Party of Tojima and the localist Tojima First. The Social Democrats and Liberals are considered to be federalist, with the Liberals being particularly so; the SDP maintains a moderate position, where Tojima's special status is supported but the party is against further Tojiman autonomy. Tojima First is a generally centrist, localist party that advocates to protect Tojiman culture and interests, and is seen as a "pro-Japanese" party.

Elections to the Tojima Prefectural Assembly frequently result in either hung parliaments or large majorities. Historically, left-of-centre parties have controlled the legislature for long periods of time and as a result have dominated the office of premier. Tojima has had a conservative premier for only 28 of the 73 years since Enderronian independence in 1946. The last time a right-of-centre party won a majority in the Tojiman legislature was in 1994. Governments throughout the 20th century have commonly consisted of coalitions between the Social Democrats and various minor parties and independent MPs. The current government consists of a minority coalition between the SDP and Tojima Greens.

Overall, Tojima is considered to be moderate and centrist at the federal level, though Tojiman voters are often at odds with mainland Liberal politicians with regards to issues on multiculturalism, multilingualism and immigration; thus more often than not the Social Democrats hold a relatively stronger position in the prefecture, especially in Shirakawa. The Liberals and their predecessors have only won a majority of seats in Tojima twice, in 2006 and 2010. The Social Democrats are particularly strong in Shirakawa, Harvey Island and Nishihama, while Liberal Party is stronger in the predominantly white, rural interior of the prefecture.

Demographics
Tojima's population as of October 2018 is 2,834,615, making it the fourth-most populous prefecture in Enderron. 71 percent of the prefecture's population lives in the largest city and capital, Shirakawa. 81 percent live in the five largest urban areas. Most of Tojima's population is concentrated in the southeastern corner of Tojima Island and Harvey Island.