The Toyotomi Regency

The death of the great unifier, the Taikō, has created a vacuum of power at the apex of Japan. To safeguard his young heir and the fragile peace he forged, he established a dual system of governance: a Council of Elders (Go-Tairō), composed of the five most powerful warrior-lords, and a Board of Commissioners (Go-Bugyō), a meritocratic body of administrators tasked with the impartial running of the state. In theory, these two bodies were meant to balance each other. In reality, their competing interests have turned the halls of Osaka Castle into a political battleground.

This committee is not about the clash of swords, but the clash of wills and ideologies that precedes it. The Council of Elders, representing the traditional feudal powers, seeks to expand its influence and secure its domains. The Board of Commissioners, fiercely loyal to the Taikō's vision, strives to uphold the centralized laws that limit the lords' ambitions.

Delegates, as members of this tense regency, will engage in high-stakes statecraft. The agenda is critical: you must rule on unsanctioned political alliances that threaten to destabilize the realm, manage the growing influence of Portuguese missionaries and their Dutch rivals, and legislate the future of foreign trade and technology. Above all, you are charged with securing the line of succession. Success will be measured by your ability to build coalitions, draft effective decrees, and navigate the treacherous currents of honor and ambition. The future of Japan will be decided not by armies on the field, but by the skill of the statesmen in this council. For if statecraft fails, the swords of the samurai will answer.