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"Let our hands blister in toil, let our spirits remain unblemished, let honor and devotion outlive even death, for one day, we shall return to our sacred islands."
The Ikikata No Hana doctrine, formally adopted in 1972 following the fall of the old Imperial leadership, remains the ideology and political system of the State of Formosa that is still present to this day. Translated as “Way of Living Bloom,” the doctrine presents itself not simply as governance, but as a path toward a purer, more harmonious existence. It seeks not to dominate the world as the old Empire once dreamed, but to refine the soul of a nation and to become a moral light for Asia in an age darkened by materialism and foreign corruption.
At its core, Ikikata No Hana follows the “Five Pillars of Purity”: Harmony with Nature, Respect for Others, Duty to the Commune, Embracing Culture, and Defense of the Sacred Land.
It teaches that life must be lived in balance, with nature, with tradition, and with one’s fellow citizens. The land is sacred, not to be conquered but cultivated. The doctrine mandates a system of rural self-reliance, organized into tightly structured agricultural communes where every citizen has a role. Food production is done almost entirely by hand, with very limited usage of more advanced machinery. Fertilizers and tools are state-issued and limited, forcing communities to cooperate and innovate with traditional techniques. Children are educated in both practical farming and moral-spiritual lessons, growing up in a world where planting rice and creating art are seen as two sides of the same coin.
The doctrine places enormous emphasis on cultural purity and artistic expression, but in a deeply traditional sense. Modern art and mass entertainment are banned as they are said to corrupt the spirit, replaced by a state-supported revival of ancient Japanese culture. Every commune has a hall dedicated to traditional arts (Noh theatre, calligraphy, woodworking, ink painting) and all citizens are encouraged to participate, regardless of talent. Artistic expression is viewed as a way to refine the soul and contribute beauty to the community.
The doctrine upholds what the state refers to as the “Sacred Union of Man and Woman” as the natural order of society. Romantic love is actively encouraged, but strictly within the bounds of state morality. Festivals organized by local elders serve as matchmaking events for young people, and families with multiple children receive better homes and access to scarce goods. While there is no official law against homosexuality, the social and cultural environment makes deviation from heteronormative norms nearly unthinkable, although technically it's not illegal. State literature and plays frequently depict romantic love as a metaphor for national unity, harmony, and sacrifice.
Citizens are raised from birth to live by the virtues of kindness, cooperation, and discipline. Schoolchildren are required to participate in Compassion Weeks, during which they assist elders, tend to public gardens, or aid in construction and repairs. State-run media constantly extols everyday acts of generosity as the highest form of patriotism. The regime promotes a vision of life that is humble but noble, simple but dignified, rooted in shared history, moral duty, and spiritual clarity. Spiritual festivals mark the turning of each season, with music, food, and moral plays reinforcing the shared sense of destiny.
Banner promoting the ideology, c. 1973
The nation is ruled by the Council of the Imperial Spirit, a body that claims to interpret the divine will of the gods. After the death of Emperor Hirohito in 1989, the council declared that no single man was worthy of the Chrysanthemum Throne. Instead, the council itself became the living voice of the Empire’s Spirit, placing the land and people as vessels channeling the divinity once possessed by the Emperor. The council meets in ritualized sessions, clothed in Imperial robes, while all new laws are proclaimed with a ceremonial reading. Freedom of speech exists in theory, but in practice it is hemmed by cultural taboo and political consequence. Citizens may speak openly about daily life, farming techniques, or artistic preferences, but praise of Western nations, colonial powers, capitalism and communism, is met with silent retribution. Those who cross this line do not face public trials, but are instead “guided to reflection”. This may mean many things, from reassignment to isolated communes to simple disappearance. Most people understand the unspoken boundaries and stay within them, not out of fear alone, but out of genuine belief in the doctrine’s virtue. The line between loyalty and love for the regime is, as a result, somewhat blurred.
Crime is exceedingly rare, both because of the intense communal surveillance and because moral education is ingrained from early childhood. Still, when it occurs, it is dealt with severely. Theft and personal violence are seen not just as legal violations, but as spiritual stains on the national body. First-time offenders are often sentenced to exile in isolated wilderness communes (Zones of Spiritual Rehabilitation), isolated zones near natural reservoirs (thought to be places of high spiritual presence), overlooked by shinto monks. The sentenced not only have to do hard physical labor, but also undergo “Spiritual Refinement”. Repeat offenders, particularly those guilty of corruption, harming children, or sexual assault are publicly exiled into deep mountains (Zones of Exclusion) and ceremonially stripped of citizenship. These events are dramatized in morality plays broadcasted by the state, meant to reinforce the idea that justice is not punishment, but purification.
Formosa’s foreign policy is one of “sacred isolationism”. The state still claims the Japanese home islands, though only symbolically, and has long given up the actual hopes of ever reclaiming them, preaching that eventually the homeland will return to them, not the other way around. It frames its imperial past as a righteous struggle to liberate Asia from European domination, betrayed not by its ideals, but by the traitors who now rule from Tokyo. The Council teaches that Japan’s military campaigns were noble in intent, although catastrophic in execution, and while it no longer seeks conquest, Formosa must live as the shining counter-example to a world corrupted by greed, materialism, and ideological poison. Invasions, by the United States (Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria), the Soviet Union and later Russia (Afghanistan, Georgia, Ukraine), are publicly condemned as acts of soulless imperialism. Formosa, by contrast, is painted as the last fortress of spiritual purity, and the last beacon of hope in the corrupted world. Military service is mandatory, but most units train with antique weapons and wooden dummies, military readiness is symbolic, a spiritual rite of passage rather than a preparation for war.
While the official military is small (~20,000 in service), the ideology reflects the belief that the land is sacred, and surrender is the most shameful act imaginable, the final betrayal of both ancestors and descendants. Every citizen, regardless of age or gender, is taught from early childhood that in the event of foreign invasion, they must fight to the last breath. Children learn basic spear and bow techniques alongside their moral lessons, while women train in both home defense and guerrilla tactics, ensuring no household is left undefended. The Council teaches that to die defending the soil allows the soul to live eternally amongst the most honored of heroes, whereas surrender instantly corrupts the soul to wander dishonored for eternity. Military manuals, school textbooks, and public plays reinforce the image of the heroic farmer-warrior, striking down invaders with farming tools if no weapon is available.
"Let our hands blister in toil, let our spirits remain unblemished,
let honor and devotion outlive even death,
for one day, we shall return to our sacred islands."
-Official Motto of the ideology.
我等が手は勞苦にて膚を裂かるとも、心は終始潔白たるべし、
名譽と忠誠は死を越えて尚存すべし、何故ならば、
我等、何時の日か、 神聖な故國の島々に還らん。
"ZONES" OF FORMOSA
"ZONES" OF FORMOSA
Zones of Spititual Rehabilitation
Zones of Spititual Rehabilitation
Acting as penal labor zones, Rehabilitation Zones serve as work-based camps for individuals who have "strayed from the Path of the Living Bloom." Inmates engage in physically demanding labor combined with spiritual cleansing rituals, guided meditation, and moral instruction. Although technically punitive in nature, these zones are structured around the principle of spiritual restoration rather than punishment. Those who complete their time are often reintegrated into their home communes with honor, having demonstrated personal growth and renewed dedication to the doctrine. In exceptional cases, individuals who show deep transformation may be offered entry into clerical service within the state’s religious institutions.
Zones of Exlusion
Zones of Exlusion
These zones serve as final exile for those deemed irredeemable or who refuse moral restoration within Zones of Spiritual Rehabilitation. Surrounded by the military and situated in the deep wilderness, these areas are considered spiritually tainted by human corruption. Individuals assigned there are stripped of citizenship and declared spiritually null. The Council states that those within must "live like animals, for they abandoned what makes us human." Exclusion Zones are monitored but not governed in any way, once exiled into one, reentry back into society is impossible.
Sacred Territories
Sacred Territories
These places are designated areas under direct "spiritual administration", recognized by the Council of the Imperial Spirit as sites where the physical and spiritual worlds are believed to converge. These zones serve as the religious and ceremonial centers of the State of Formosa. Public access is heavily restricted. Only spiritual officials, selected pilgrims, and ceremonial delegates are permitted entry.
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