Faction trivia: Higashi

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• Higashi is obviously a parallel to Japan, specifically during the Edo period. The name itself means "east" in Japanaese, and it is directly taken from Azuma-no-kuni (東国あづまのくに), the historical name of eastern Japan.
• The North-South Courts of Higashi are a reference to the Nanboku-chō period. Even the Kougon faction of the North is the same as Emperor Kōgon, the first emperor of the Northern Court.
• Higashi's war against Ursus during the Bloodpeak Campagin is a reference to the Russo-Japanese War.
• Higashinese creation myth parallels those of Japanese creation myth. Some of its references are:
  • Records of Tales from the Past is a reference to the Kojiki (古事記こじき) or "Records of Ancient Matters" in English. It is a compilation of Japanese myths, historical accounts, genealogy of deities and legends and oral traditions from before the seventh century.
  • Magatsu is a concept of primordial emptiness or chaos.
  • Ara-no-Kami is an allusion towards Yamata no Orochi, the eight-headed serpent in Japanese myth.
  • Hinomitsuru-Kami-no-Mikoto is a reference towards the deity Susanoo-no-Mikoto who slew the Yamata no Orochi. This event is also paralleled in the Higashinese creation myth. The sacred sword he wields is a reference to the sacred sword Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.
  • Asayo-Yoruakeru-no-Kami is an obvious reference to the Shinto sun goddess Amaterasu Omikami. Her name contains the word for "day" (asa) and "night" (yoru) in Japanese. Her status as a Pythian goddess might be because of a legend in the Ise region. Her role as bringer of day and night however might have been combined with her sibling Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto.
  • Jingi is an allusion towards Emperor Jinmu, the legendary first Emperor of Japan.
  • Goshin Shinka-kyo is an allusion towards the old capital of Japan which is Heian-kyo or better known as Kyoto in recent centuries.
  • Emperor Sangaku who introduced the Yanese culture to Higashi is a reference to Emperor Kōtoku. He was responsible for bringing back Chinese culture from the Tang dynasty to Japan.
  • Ko-ashihara is a reference to the mythical name for Japan, Ashihara-no-Nakatsukuni (葦原あしはらの中なかつ国くに; lit. "the middle country of reed beds").
• The current economic situation of Higashi is in some ways similar to Japan's bubble economy in the late 20th century.
• Before an update in the CN server, the eight diamonds, or the hishi patterns, in Higashi's national emblem were absent, making it resembling the logo of Toho Pictures. The Global server retroactively applied this when Mansfield Break was live.
• Since the game's launch, the name for Higashi was not standardized in the EN server. It was literally translated as either the Far East or simply East. This situation was fixed since Twilight of Wolumonde, but many archive files of previous Operators still retain this inconsistency.