The Corporation

Ashio-Ichibei is a Japanese Class A Mega-Corporation based on Ousho. It is one of two corporations in direct and complete control of a planet, and the only one in complete control of a settled world. It has a seat in the Interplanetary Democratic Committee and is the only corporation with this privilege. The Corporation (as it is usually called) began as a mid-scale mining company, but now manufactures and distributes a vast range of products both to the denizens of it's Capital World and to the populations of many other planets. It is still invested in multiple high-scale mining operations, manages all local fungal harvesting plantations and provides all Section A basic services to it's Capital World.

The Ashio-Ichibei Corporation is a collective of numerous subsidiary companies either purchased or directly established by the corporation itself. It has existed for over two centuries and has become the second most wealthy in the Colonial Sphere, with it's own Capital World as well as presence on numerous other colony worlds. It retains presence on Earth itself, where it operates some of it's original mines. It currently rules Ousho from its enormous Shiro-style headquarters building.

History
The Corporation was created via a number of high level mergers and lower level acquisitions in a period of global economic unrest. Rapid domestic economic expansion lead to a number of. It had a tradition of extremely skilled officers dating back to the turn of the 21st century and made some powerful moves throughout the 21st and early 22nd centuries.

The Corporation began as Toyota. In the early 21st century (2018), it merged with Mitsubishi to become Toyobishi. Twenty years later it merged again with Sony-Kansai to become Kantoysonshi. In 2051 it merged with the Nissan-Honda company, taking the name of its chief director and becoming the Ichibei Corporation. Fifteen years later, it merged again, this time retaining the title but absorbing the holdings of the Boeing-Lockeed-Martin group. B-L-M, already in control of many other major aerospace craft producers, brought to the Ichibei corporation untold control and made it the most powerful corporation behind research, development and production of craft for ground, air and space craft.

These mergers gave the Ichibei Corporation control of mines, transport networks and numerous designs and proofs of concepts for many technologies. Spurred by the energies of their young director Moioshi Minimoto (the mastermind behind the B-L-M merger), the corporation poured its efforts into mastering the aerospace industry.

In 2073, it attempted a merger with JR Global, (JR East having purchased AmTrak from the US Government and having stakes in Europe and much of Asia), but the deal fell through when an unsolved explosion rocked the office of Mr. Minimoto.

In the wake of the bombing, the Corporation recapitalized.

Corporate Holdings and Subsidiaries
The Corporation has a large number of Subsidiary companies under it's control. Many of these are located on their Capital World, while others are located on other planets and operate their factories, labs, etc. there. Manufacturing companies operate factories that produce components or finished products (like sinks, capacitors, writing utensils and medical supplies). Construction companies build buildings and other civil projects. R&D companies produce research, design practically everything, and assist other companies in implementing those designs. Software companies are classified as R&D. Shown below is a selection of the various subsidiaries.

Interstingly, the Corporation has gone out of its way in the past to avoid becoming directly involved in the weapons and mil-spec industries. While it will happily sell metals, plastics and the like to contractors, it will not design nor produce any objects of war. This was decided just before the onset of World War Three, during the Japanese Noe-Imperialist period. The reasons for this are varied, but the most heavily stressed is that a non-Weaponized company has a hard time being charged or connected with war crimes. The Corporation also does not design the starships it employs.

As much as 98% of the real estate on Ousho is owned by the Corporation. Thus, everyone not living on the streets or within the occasional privately owned condo pays their rent to the Corporation.

Manufacturing

 * Ashio-Ichibei Shipyards of Ousho (Starships)
 * Ashio-Ichibei Shipyards of Marae (As Above)
 * Ashio-Ichibei Semi-Conductors (Semi-Conductors and related Electronics Components)
 * Ashio-Ichibei Outfitting Company of Ousho (All kinds of clothing and Accessories)
 * Ashio-Ichibei Outfitting Company of Marae (As Above)
 * Ashio-Ichibei Outfitting Company of Neveus (As Above)
 * Ashio-Ichibei Chemicals Company (Chemicals from cleaning agents to battery components)
 * Ashio-Ichibei Pharmaceuticals (Manufactures medications and medical supplies)
 * Ashio-Ichibei Electronics (Various electronic goods from Comlinks to mainframe computers)
 * Ashio-Ichibei Metalworks of Ousho (Refines ores and produces practically every metal good used in other objects)
 * Ashio-Ichibei Metalworks of Neveus (Refines and sells ores to industries on Neveus)
 * Ashio-Ichibei Plasticworks of Ousho (Manufactures plastics for other industries)
 * Ashio-Ichibei Plumbing (Every plumbing related item from sinks to pipes)
 * Ashio-Ichibei Lifescapes (Furniture, Interior Decorations and the like)
 * Ashio-Ichibei Aeroships (Aircraft and zeppelin)

Construction

 * Ashio-Ichibei Construction Company (General Purpose Construction and Maintenance)

Research and Development

 * Ashio-Ichibei Software Company (Business Software)
 * Ashio-Ichibei Mediceuticals (Pharmaceutical and Medical Research)
 * Ashio-Ichibei Urban Elites (Clothing, accessories and furniture designs)
 * Ashio-Ichibei Cosmetics (Cosmetics R&D, also owns it's own manufacturers on Ousho and Marae as A.I. Cos)
 * Ashio-Ichibei Electronitecture (Electronics design)

Food

 * Ashiro-Ichibei Food Towers Incorporated (Manages and operates all food complexes and yest farms)
 * Ashiro-Ichibei Fungal Exporters (Manages and exploits fungal farms)

Properties

 * Ashiro-Ichibei Realty (Real estate sales)
 * Ashiro-Ichibei Leasing Company (Rent Collection)

Public and Governmental Services

 * First Interstellar Bank, Division of Ousho (Local representatives of the FIB)
 * Popular Data Assessment Association (Data analysis involving city-wide cameras and citizen records)
 * Corporate Police Agency (Law Enforcement, CSWAT)
 * Waterworks Company (City-wide water management)
 * First Electric (City-wide power generation and distribution)
 * Corporate Transit Association (Subways, railways and roadways)
 * Corporate Shipping Authority (Import/Export, acts as Customs)
 * Fire Combatancy Agency (Firefighting and Fire Prevention)
 * Waste Warriors Agency (Waste management, street cleaning)
 * City School Authority (Oversees city-wide school system)
 * Corporate Rescue Authority (Paramedical)

The Corporation as a Government
In compliance with the Corporate Planet Act, though the Ashiro-Ichibei Corporation is a privately owned unit, it must provide at least all Section A services to those claiming citizenship on their planet. These include k-10 schooling, law enforcement, court systems, electricity, medical care, transportation infrastructure, water and waste management. These required tasks are handled by branches of the Corporation, classified under Public and Governmental Services. Costs for this are enormous tax write-offs for the Corporation and in most cases actually aid their operations. Additional branches mentioned above were added as a measure of public relations and serving their own ends - the Corporation cannot keep factories if they keep burning down, nor can they wholesale to the burnt-out husks of retail outlets. Rent and sales cannot be collected from people too sick to work, and the uneducated are bad for business at all levels.

The Corporation establishes a flat 21.28% sales tax, but charges no other taxes. Of this flat tax, 51% pays for gross annual Corporate taxes, while the other 49% goes to Public and Governmental Services. Overage is retained. Egress costs from the planet are kept artificially inflated, simply to discourage leaving and to squeeze as much money from those who do.

The Corporation has instilled a small number of social programs. Those making at or less than poverty level are given one free meal a day (up to 15 credits worth), which is credited to their IDC. This is automatically received every day at midnight via the Wireless. Overage is not rolled over. Those at or under the poverty level receive reduced rent rates, as homelessness is generally bad for business, and cheap rent attracts people. This is in addition to cheap local rent. Given how materialistic and consumerist the locals are, the difference is usually made up anyways - and buildings are cheap.

The Corporation has established cultural control in terms of approved and banned literature. The press is a branch of The Corporation and is not considered free. IdentCards should be carried at all times and contain powerful AERFID transmitters that permit the Popular Data Assessment Association (and by extension the Corporate Police Agency) to locate you at any time. Interplanetary transmissions are on a permission-only basis, and all city-wide web traffic is monitored and checked for "Threats to the people at the Corporation". Mass CCTV surveillance, operated by the Popular Data Assessment Association and concentrated in the middle to upper class regions, serves as a backup to AERFID tracking and as a way to backtrack the path of anyone called criminal. Political parties are outlawed - induction into the political ranks is done via appointment and promotion, true to the corporate roots of the state; call it a Meritocracy. Weapons are outlawed, and your free speech is forever in question - for this the people are placated with drugs, whores and pop culture.

Though they permit private businesses, they curtail the size and scope. The basic services are provided but they are not perfect, concentrated in the hands of the middle and upper class neighborhoods.

Corporate Management
At the most basic level, lower management is in charge of teams of basic employees. Middle management are in charge whole departments within a company. Upper management are in charge of whole companies. Within the Corporation itself, lower management takes care of running facilities within the Corporate holdings or Public Works (like security within the Shiro, or managing employees of the Transit Authority), middle management interfaces Companies with the Corporation itself or manages higher level duties within the Public Services, and upper management does major decision making and total integration. Typically, those working for the core Corporation have seniority and status above those working for the subsidiaries.

Board of Directors
Akio Katsuo, Chairman Hachirou Riku Takahiro Tsubasa Kichirou Hiroshi Hayate Kiyoshi Ayumu Ryouichi Kohaku Shin

Chief Officers
Yuudai Takeru, CEO Oda Yutaka, CFO Minoru Yuu,CAO Haru Yori, CMO Rokuro Katsuro,CBDO Yasu Kasumoto,COO Ayumu Notsu,CIO Shitake Morimoto,CCO Ieyasu Satumoto,CLO Haru Nobotsu,CTO Minoru Nobotsu,CAE Kaede Hibiki,CDO Morihei Ueshiba,CHRO Oda Tokugawa,CSO

Corporate Culture
The Corporation is known for espousing hardwork and dedication, occasionally rewarding it with bonus pay. It requires its employees to be without a criminal record, and is known for trying to build an espirit de corps amongst members of individual companies and branches. Results vary. It is also very sales oriented, as it essentially farms its Capital World for money and exports huge amounts of materials offworld.

During the Neo-Imperialist period, when Japan reached its most recent high-water mark, the Corporation more or less officially adopted the concepts of Bushido and tried to apply them to it's middle and upper management. It has had good success, especially as it coincided with much stricter control over promotions. Employees are evaluated in terms of Bushido as it applies to business - they must be loyal (to the Corporation), frugal (with Corporate money) and honest, respectful of his superiors, benevolent towards other Corporate employees and show a measure of rectitude. Wisdom is also highly regarded, as is advanced knowledge in one's sector. This is especially true for management and other "white collar" employees, who the Corporation has likened to as "Warriors of the Business World" (Bushi no Bijinesu). Typically good behavior and dedication is enough not to have your position threatened. The higher up one goes, the stricter this is enforced. This is to prevent corruption from poisoning the Corporation as it poisoned so many of the companies it has bought. Middle and upper management are not to be drunkards, not to whore around or tamper with street drugs. They are not to be thieves or liars, nor hotheaded dishonorable embarrassments. This practice has somewhat relaxed for the general employee body as the Neo-Imperialist Era has faded from the public mind, but still remains.

The Corporation is known for some measure of racism. This reflects the still present Xenophobic mindset from old Japan, amplified as it was during the Neo-Imperialist Era. As it pertains to the Corporation, non-Japanese employees may never regularly rise above low end management of it's various subsidiaries and Section A services. Those adopted into Middle Management are essentially the the highest they will ever rise (beyond special aide positions), and are only taken in when they show considerable aptitude and appeal to the Corporate bushido mindset. Ironically, many of these gaijin middle-managers are often better employees than those who hire them. There is a sort-of pecking order in races: Japanese at the top, whites as a "first and a half" citizen most likely to rise up to the middle management levels (and sometimes beyond, in a few rare exceptions), and all other races as second class citizens. All this is in defiance with the Interstellar Race Fairness Act, which it gets away with because of its special planetary status.

Sexual discrimination is rampant. The Corporation, in direct defiance of the Interstellar Gender Fairness Act, does not permit female employees to work in any manual labor or middle and upper management positions. It prefers them as secretaries, "Flowers" (pretty girls who more or less decorate office buildings with their presence), researchers and public relations officials. How pretty a woman is often dictates the kinds of positions she is accepted for. The Corporation gets away with this because of it's unique planetary status. As it is not a publicly traded company, it can get away with discrimination as detailed in the New Corporate Classification Manual from the 23rd century.

Other than race and sex, the Corporation does not discriminate based on creed, genetic disposition or sexual orientation.

Corporate employees are relatively well taken care of. They receive bonuses, discounts on medical attention, rent and a few general expenditures and vacation time. How much of this you receive is directly related to your position within the Corporation. A factory worker may just get cheap rent, one week a year and free dental, while middle managers may get a month's vacation a year, full medical and dental, 5% off on practically every purchasable good and various other favors, depending on what you do for the Corporation. Upper management are even better off, often having free penthouse homes and even shares in the Corporation itself.

Corporate Headquarters
The Corporate Headquarters is a massive Shiro-style building. It is 60 floors in height from ground level, and has a 1000 square meter footprint, including the custom designed, walled Japanese style rock garden which surrounds the building. It hosts many fine meeting rooms, as well as the offices for the core corporate employees working there. It even includes a large gym, a small dorm capable of sleeping 75, an entire basement floor devoted to security and a banquet hall. It is located in District A.

Current Activities
Beyond the basics of daily governance and business operation/expansion, the Corporation has a number of announced projects. Currently, they are known to be exploring two other planets in the solar system, as well as it's asteroid field. In the wake of a recent bombing, they have declared a state of war against the Ousho City Liberation Front.

The Corporation and the Yakuza
The Yakuza first arrived briefly after the first 100,000 citizen mark was met, and have not left. The Corporation has taken steps to curtail their activities, specially as it pertains to smuggling and counterfeiting, and have met with successes. Regardless of these attempts, the first organization to establish itself on the Corporation's Capital World remains to this day, deeply entrenched and well connected. The current official policy appears to be control rather than combat; so long as the Yakuza do not go about murdering or stealing Corporate citizens (employees especially), destroying or usurping Corporate property, smuggling in illicit goods or otherwise making things difficult for the Corporation, nothing will be done about them. Essentially they're allowed to do what they will so long as they're quiet and the violence stays off of the wealthier streets. Stances vary with time and who's in charge of Enforcement and Intelligence branches.

In 2391, the Corporation made an official declaration denying any association with Yakuza groups, and denies that the Toyamoto clan has any of the rumored hold or stake in the Corporation. The Corporation maintains a strict No Yakuza employment policy for itself and it's subsidiaries and terminates any employees found to be in league with these organized crime units. The Corporation denies having utilized Yakuza members as a secret "enforcement" agency for any policy.

As the Yakuza operate semi-openly (not quite advertising but certainly not hiding their "cleaner" operations) without Corporate intervention, it is assumed the Yakuza make substantial monetary payments to the Corporation for this privilege.