Hinagiku (Otome Row)

Hinagiku is one of the smaller wards of Jura Megalopolis. It borders Swallow Hill to the west and Ichigun to the north and east. The stretch of shoreline along the south comprises most of the good beaches remaining on the mainland. The Otome, among a quirky bunch of other gangs, have their home turf in Hinagiku.

Although not many are aware of the distinction, Hinagiku is the oldest part of the Jura Megalopolis, having been a Kagamine period town and the site of a Catholic mission for centuries before the industrial port was founded. Much of the ward is comprised of a series of hills so the Megastructure was never built over it. Nevertheless, physical recollections of Hinagiku's history are the exception rather than the norm and boringly cloned Reconstruction architecture still dominates the urban landscape.

General Locations

Otome Row

Often simply "The Row", Otome Row is a large housing project located in the heart of Hinagiku ward. It is formed by six massive residential blocks arranged in a circle broken by gated roads and surrounding a large plot of land with two markets, a high school and various other facilities. As a community, Otome Row has remained relatively free of the cut and thrust that accompanies common lives in the lawless city of Jura Megalopolis. Though not magically seamless, the fact that the community naturally forms a ring and is gated a few hours each night grants a feeling of security, as does the firm presence of the Otome whose longtime presence demands respect from most neighbouring gangs. This respect appears to have declined sharply since the death of respected community leader Omoi Kanako and a recent attack has shaken residents even though the Otome ultimately repelled it.

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Tsukiji Fishmarket

The present day Tsukiji Fishmarket now deals in far more than just fish, butchery and livestock, especially since tourism-oriented beach and marina commerce drove the fishermen to Black Lagoon, but the name and the smell have remained. The so-called Fishmarket is now an area where most former shopfronts have been badly converted to miniscule sized apartment units with communal everything and in which shops themselves have moved onto street stalls, shrinking roads by a lane of traffic on each side during the day. It is a haven for frauds and minor criminals as well as goods and services of all kinds.

Much like the fishermen, the Tsukiji Drifters themselves were eased out of the area over time as well as their vehicles have difficulty navigating during the day. They did still run half the protection rackets and several motor-related businesses in the area but these have been damaged by a great deal of molotov cocktail recently.

Angel Park

A large public park with a fountain situated south of Otome Row and north of the Tsukiji Fish Market, Angel Park (or more precisely the top of its massive trees) is the highest point in Hinagiku.

Control over it has been arguable since the incident where the figurehead of the Otome accidentally killed the former leader of the Tsukiji Drifters here in a psychotic fit over a broken guitar.

Kamimachi

Kamimachi means 'papertown' and refers to the paper used for traditional Amaharan architecture. The area combines a few surviving historic structures and Kagamine period recreation aimed at both heritage conservation and drawing in tourists by the busload. Many of the residents are those attracted to traditional lifestyles of varying levels of purity and it is usual to see people wearing period clothing in the street.

The hood is dominated by the traditionalist Abe Group.

Hinagiku Beach

Encompassing much of the ward's coastline, Hinagiku beach constitutes most of the good beaches still left on the mainland and as a result gets rather crowded. There are several nearby hotels of varying levels of class, including some with slices of beach devoted to their use but the bulk of the visitors are locals. In addition to nearby Hinagiku Marina, the Tsukiji Night Market extends out to the beachfront every night.

Cribs

The Orphanage

St. Zoharia Orphanage is a largely forgotten historic site consisting of a pair of old stone buildings standing on a pear-shaped hunk of land at the heart of Otome Row. One of them (or at least its foundations) dates to the 16th century establishment of a christian mission by the Order of St. Zoharia. Following a period of abandonment, it became an orphanage for war orphans of both genders in the 1920's until a shady military program drafted all of the boys, leaving the institution to carry on as a girl's facility and alternative education center. The land it occupies survived post-war reconstruction due to an obscure historic heritage clause, which is why the Otome Row complex is built around it but not over it and it has been the headquarters of the Otome ever since. It became defunct relatively recently when Headmistress Omoi Kanako became unable to administer it any longer. Subsequently, efforts are underway to furnish one of the wings as a brothel with something of a cosplay theme being discussed amongst Otome bosses.

The grounds of the orphanage are a wooded area surrounded entirely by the community of Otome Row. Angel street runs on either side of it with a different direction of traffic on each side as it goes through Otome Row from north to south. The ancient buildings have been remodeled numerous times with each effort adding a new layer of obscurity over ever-accumulating secrets. It is known that the buildings contain secret passages though even the most informed of the Otome is unsure exactly how many. An old well was also recently uncovered leading to lost caves as well as the colonial era catacomb system.

The Gothedral

The Gothedral is located in the college district southwest quadrant of Hinagiku near Misaki College and Kamimachi in a generally artsy and night life-oriented commercial area. Once to have served as seat for Amahara's first bishop, reversals in policy for religious toleration ensured the building would never be finished. The ruins were reoccupied and rebuilt after the war as a goth nightclub and an adjoining "convent" was added as a nun-themed bondage club. Theologik Skandal is the gang which controls this crib, though they are as much a local band as anything.

Hinaka Stadium

A large stadium in the more upscale commercial district in the northwest of Hinagiku. It is the crib of the North Hinagiku Gladiators who control all aspects of the stadium's operation as a front and core revenue source.

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