Kalistani Major History

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Spotlight on Yoshimi
Sleepy Suldanor Metropolis features "Beach Culture"
Yoshimi, Suldanor
July 8, 5327


Yoshimi, Suldanor, at the mouth of the meandering Yoshimi River has risen from surrounding swampland to become Kalistan's Resort Town

Kalistan is a very diverse nation: from year round snow caps on the highest mountains of Neveras, to the rainy, misty deep mountain valleys of Ananto to the sundrenched beaches of Suldanor, Kalistan offers a little something for everyone. One area that does not get enough coverage is the marshy brackish area around Kalistan's frontier with Baltusia. Part of the ancient kingdom of Vintalli, the three regions of Yoshimi, Lucid, and New Vintalli host the massive Lucid Morass, full of mangrove forests, marshlands, wild and dangerous animals and mosquitos. The swamp is caused primarily by the flatness of the land, which at its highest point, is not more than 10 feet above sea level, combined with the relatively high volume of water and silt that arrives from the mountain fed Lucid River further up stream. Once the regular stream of water arrives at the flat land, over which it has to travel more than 150 miles, it slows way down and floods: The Lucid Morass is essentially a flooded delta that spans thousands of square miles. Lucid City was built upon a steep rise, and is considered the first land along the course of that river which does not flood regularly.

Just north of the Morass lies Yoshimi. Though Yoshimi sits on land that is almost as low as the Lucid Morass, the Yoshimi River moves just fast enough to drain into the sea without flooding the land regularly. The Yoshimi River above Yoshimi the city meanders through rich soil, changing course annually, creating cutoffs and pinhooks all along its lower course, but Yoshimi City sits on firmer ground, which has allowed this city to escape many natural disasters and become a metropolis in Southern Suldanor. Considered "Suldanor's Second City", Yoshimi is both home to Kalistan's Third Fleet of naval Regulars that patrols the Southern Limit of the Ananto Strait, as well as a wonderful beach culture that has grown up underneath an abundance of sun (on average more than 240 days a year of sun), pleasant year round temperatures (varying annually from 51-76, and rarely exceeding 83 or going below 45 on the coldest nights), and lots and lots of water. This combination of factors makes Yoshimi one of the primary resort towns in the Republic.

Yoahimi is a city that works! For centuries, the largest economic activity in the Yoshimi area was petroleum exploitation. KALNAPECO had numerous offshore drilling rigs, and Yoshimi was a port that tankers were stationed while waiting for cargo. Yoshimi is also a major international shipping port, with cargo arriving and leaving daily to central and southern Seleya and Dovani. Ships originating in Yoshimi travel as far Majatra for trade. Following the general winding down of most operations of KALNAPECO around 5000, Yoshimi's main employer became AeroKal, whose Yoshimi Campus produces nearly all civilian aircraft and avionics in the Republic, for domestic and international consumption. The AeroKal factory employs thousands of Yoshimi residents directly, and follow-on tens of thousands in the service sector to support that economic activity.

Yoshimi has also supported a relatively large agricultural sector that really began developing following significant capital investment from Indrala about 600 years ago. Since then, Yoshimi's hinterland has become a major producer of rice and tropical fruits and vegetables like yam, guava, pineapple, bananas, and callaloo. The areas around Yoshimi are also major republican sources of bamboo, tarrow and palm oil, and raw rubber, which is processed in rubber plants north of Yoshimi, and provides the primary source of rubber in Kalistan and Northern Seleya. Finally, Yoshimi is a high-tech center. The company Yoshimi Salts, which is based in Yoshimi, maintains operations in High Bong, working with KALNAFERCO to reclaim lithium from mine tailings, as well as an operation near Yoshimi extracting trace lithium from evaporated sea water. That lithium extracted by YS not only supplies the batteries for the consumer electronics created at KalMD's Yoshimi factory, but also helps KALENCON power the fusion generators that supply a majority of the power in Kalistan.

Due to an abundant amount of economic activity in and around Yoshimi, the city has attracted workers from all over Kalistan and the World. Yoshimi is known as a cosmopolitan city, with influences not only from Kalistan itself, but Baltusia, Gaduridos, Indrala, Tukarali, and Aldegar. This international influence in Kalistan makes Yoshimi probably the most international of all cities. Cuisine and music tastes reflect the embrace of multi-culturalism within the city. On any block you can find Indralan restaurants next to Majatran influenced food stands, next to Gaduri Pastie shops. You can hear the flourishes of many different styles of music in Yoshimi, which is the home of KME and the hometown of La Tienda Disco Records, as well as some of the biggest pop and alternative bands in Kalistan's History. Yoshimi was a regular host of the GanJam and Kalistani Sunsplash Reggae Festival, as well as the Yoshimi Pop Film Festival. At any of these events, Kalistan can see and hear the world beyond our borders.

When Yoshimi isn't working, Yoshimi is playing. Surfing and boating are two of the most central free time activities in Yoshimi. Yoshimi is on par with Sulari as the surfing capital of the Republic, because though Yoshimi Bay doesn't tend to lend to huge and dangerous waves, the multitude of surfable waves and long stretches of coastine attract surfing competitions to Yoshimi's sunny warm waves. Championship professional surfer Dianne Brinson is a regular on Yoshimi's beaches. "In a lot of places, the surfing depends on the weather: Some days you will have big waves, and some days you will have flat, glass like seas. But here at Yoshimi, the waves depend more on tidal forces. At least twice a day, when the tide is coming in, the waves pick up and you can surf for a good three or four hours at a time. And that's every day. Twice a day. So- you will see a lot of technical riders out here. People doing board tricks, carving it up as much as possible, doing different sorts of things on their boards to stand out. Because you won't get huge waves out here that can kill you, so you can really just kind of take it easy, relax and get real good." Surfers like Brinson, who are based out of Yoshimi, are some of the best surfers in the world simply because they spend so much time on the water.

Dianne Brinson, Yoshimi Surfer

Boating is also a huge sport and popular hobby in Yoshimi. Several measures passed in the Yoshimi City's government to encourage watercraft production and usage have led to public marinas, incredibly inexpensive boat rentals, and regular boating classes. "People here particularly enjoy sailing," said Harbor Master Brian Willoughby. "Motorized craft aren't permitted near the public beaches and surfing spots, but wind-powered craft are, and so people naturally gravitate towards those vessels. Our most popular is the 3-person sloop. It's a great, safe craft for intermediate sailors to get out on the water and zip around the bay. But my personal favorite is the trimaran." In fact, Yoshimi is known in the Republic for its annual trimaran races, which test individuals on endurance, agility, and speed, and is part of a unique ironman triathalon which also involves biking and running.

When Yoshimi residents are not in the water, they are near the water. Yoshimi boasts a seven mile long white sand beach which is daily filled with sunworshippers and people having a great time playing beach volleyball, having cookouts, and playing loud music. The beach facility is staffed fulltime, and due to the weather, is open year round, though in the winter it usually considered a little too cold to lay about in a swim suit. There are regular concert venues and bars along the beach for people who want to catch a national touring act or drink, and a whole beach subculture has grown up around the most popular music and alcohol venues that is unique to Yoshimi. This scene has fostered a number of national music acts including The Yoshimi 6, Madysin Shakespeare, ska band Best of Everything, KME singer Maria "La Mala" Castro, sunshine pop band 10 Foot Tall, Blues Rock band The Smoke Brothers, and Grit Band Petroshine Guides.

Yoshimi features an excellent public transportation system based on electric busses that serve all neighborhoods, a thriving downtown center featuring shops, boutiques, coffee houses, music venues, museums and galleries, and restaurants which have been in business for thousands of years, and an excellent public education system (ranked 3rd best in the Republic behind Sulari and Kaliburg). Yoshimi is also home to The University of Kalistan, as well as a national Football team, The Yoshimi Dragons. The crime rate in Yoshimi is about on par with all major cities in Kalistan, with less individual property crime and personal crime and a slightly higher level of commercial crime. Corruption is low, thanks to efforts of the Yoshimi Government to root out official corruption from the City Government several hundred years ago and annual studies thereafter listing areas where corruption is costing the local economy being conducted by an independent anti-corruption task force that is elected by the citizens and answering to the District Government. Major challenges for Yoshimi include a need to update antiquated economic and civic infrastructure in the town, repeatedly frustrated demands for city beautification, and environmental issues caused by heavy industry near Yoshimi, including one site 15 miles inland which contains major pollution and is listed as "not for cultivation or habitation" due to ground water contamination.

Issues aside, Kalistanis still flock to Yoshimi, especially during the winter months, to relax in the warm sun and watch beautiful people walk up and down the beach. It is an intoxicating, alluring environment that encourages people to just sit back, let their hair down and take it easy. That is the Yoshimi Attitude: Problems can wait for another day.