This article describes the economic workings of the Yamatai Star Empire.

Yamatai is the population hub of the YSE and most of its worlds are basically undeveloped. Expansion is ongoing and essential. Yamatai does agriculture and industry. Yamatai trades with other nations, but does not depend on trade. The economy is focused on providing for the people. Yamatai's defining traits are artificial lifeforms, the military institution, and a dash of hedonism.

The idea is not really “post-scarcity” but rather “post-labor.”

Yamatai requires a business license for all businesses who operate in Yamatai in any capacity. Without such a license, it is illegal to sell goods or operate a storefront in Yamatai space, or to remotely sell to Yamataians and then ship the commercial goods into Yamatai. Yamatai doesn't give business licenses to stateless corporations (businesses that attempt to operate outside of nations).

Yamataian businesses have to operate using KS and cannot accept other currencies.

Yamatai's currency, Kikyo Satsu (KS), is not based on an actual physical substance or commodity. The YSE gov essentially 'prints' it freely in the same way it uses aether generators to make unlimited quantities of pure gold. Notice how the Star Army of Yamatai is never, ever concerned with meeting a budget. Keep in mind the government is heavily involved in materials manufacturing so it gets a lot of the money back eventually. There are other “money sinks” that help offset this, too.

KS can be exchanged for other international currencies, such as Nepleslian DA.

A question frequently asked is: What is valuable in Yamatai? Or in other words, what does Yamatai import?

Here's some examples:

• Antiques, artwork, and historic artifacts
• Military supplies for the huge Star Army of Yamatai
• Organic (non-synthesized) foods
• Technologies

The result of an economy watered down by plentiful resources is that Yamatai has a lot of people not really doing anything besides pursuing personal interests. If you wanted to be an artist or run an roleplaying site in Yamatai, you could probably do that because it doesn't take a lot of money to live. There is a minimum benefit to society you're expected to contribute but it's not established how many man-hours etc is the norm. People without jobs do not get the nice housing, etc. If you want to be a bum in Yamatai, it's possible, but you'd likely be sleeping in a government capsule condo eating synthfood.

Persons wishing to get a job are directed to the National Personnel Management Administration (which does government job hiring and assignments) which can find them a civilian or government job. Also, by taking the citizenship test and/or giving 3 years of service to the government or Star Army, they could earn citizenship. The CLAM would be a benefit used to encourage people to become full Yamataian citizens. In the RP, this also keeps Yamatai's frontiers more frontier-like because not everyone is free of poverty, since not everyone is a citizen proper and the citizens tend to be in the YSE's core areas.

Profit is not a driving concern in Yamatai. Once you reach the point of ubiquitous fabricators, free energy and trivial materials acquisition, the market doesn't need profit to be the driving force. It can simply flex and bend to meet the needs of the consumers. It's a nation that manufactures people. Through the networks, Yamatai is a sort of ubiquitous surveillance state. People's needs are instantly known and can probably be met just as easily.

Yamatai is not particularly efficient; it tends to build large and in large quantities, often striving to replace older items on a 5-year cycle. This has resulted in a large amount of used goods that Yamatai struggles to recycle, or that end up being used as hand-me-downs.

The government-run Ketsurui Zaibatsu is a pillar of the economy that provides a lot of manufacturing power to the government.

The government of the Yamatai Star Empire is firmly set in the belief that society is morally obligated to act in the best interests of its people in general and that the government is society's tool to effect this support.

Regardless of whether you're working or not working (either by choice, or just because robots took most jobs), being part of Yamatai means not having to worry about basic needs like being able to eat or having a place to live. If you are willing to settle for a basic standard of living, you don't have to participate in the workforce and can spend your days doing something other than working for other people

In this way, Yamatai is able to fight poverty, homelessness, hunger, and (to some extent) income inequality in a single stroke. Of course, the finer things in life will still require cash, and for those you're expected to earn cash to pay for them. So most people will still want to make money so they can live above the baseline.

All citizens who need a home are eligible to request one from the government. Generally this comes in the form of a decent Micro-apartment that provides living space and basic utilities like power, Water, and SYNC network access.

Alternatively, citizens with sufficient resources can request free Land Grants.

Yamatai's healthcare system is almost completely socialized and totally free to the public, including travelers from other nations. It is common for Nepleslians to journey to Yamatai to exploit the system but Yamatai is okay with bearing the costs.

Replacement bodies started being widely available around YE 20.

In an aggressive move to wipe out poverty, the Yamatai Star Empire provides 1250 KS to each citizen on a monthly basis. The money helps make sure everyone has food and fights social inequality. To get LACY, a character would have to be a citizen of Yamatai, as defined by Yamataian Law and apply for it. The money is provided “no strings attached” regardless of employment status or other income. LACY is provided to citizens of any age.

The Living Allowance for Citizens of Yamatai (LACY), is primarily for Food since housing is already covered.

The LACY program began in YE 36, originally providing 1000 KS a month. Starting in YE 39 the minimum income was raised to 1250. The amount was based on providing for three 10-KS meals a day (1050 KS for 35 day months of the Yamataian Calendar), plus an additional 200 KS monthly for miscellaneous expenses such as toiletries.

• Star Army Pay
• Yamatai Prestige System
• KS Card