The two primary factions in play are the emperor, along with his advisors, Shinto shamans, Shiawase, Evo, and (somewhat surprisingly) Ryumyo; on the other side is MCT, Renraku, Yakashima, Monobe, Sony, Yokogawa, Komatsu, Daiatsu, and, most troublingly, Lung. Th e factions are not hard and fast, however. MCT, for example, has a better relationship with the emperor than they do with the Shinto priests, while both Renraku and Monobe have some sympathy for the emperor’s plea for a return to traditionalism. At the core of the divide, though, is a disagreement about who ultimately controls Japan’s destiny, regardless of the direction in which the ship of state is traveling.