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“Changing Life” | ||||||||||||
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Yamatetsu (now Evo) was a Japanese Megacorporation and one of the Big Ten before it moved from Kyoto, Japan to Vladivostok, Russia and rebranded itself Evo. It is best known for making metahuman friendly products, being funded by a combination of Filipino and Japanese businessmen, and having a powerful animae, Buttercup, on the board.
History
From the ashes of theCrash of '29, the Yamatetsu Corporation rose like a phoenix. It was the brain child of Tadamako Shibanojuki, whose original intentions was to create a Japanese/Filipino corporate bloc to prevent the Japanacorps from overtaking their corporate interests. This move really echoes the same sort of thinking that led Tiger Mitsuhama into forming MCT, but this time several "outsiders" (read Filipino) corporations were invited to the table.
Shibanojuki's consortium was split down the middle in terms of ownership. Fifty percent of the board was owned by Japanese interests, and the other by Filipino interests. The Filipino corporations were basically forced to the negotiation table thanks to the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines. They were too weak to stand up against the Japanacorps themselves, and thus had to sign a deal with Japanese interests for the sake of security.
Since it was his brain child, the board named Shibanojuki as its Chairman, and the corporation opened it's doors in 2032. Thanks its diverse nature as a multinational keiretsu, its focus on producing products aimed at metahumans, and military industrial complex (and willingness to exploit the EuroWars) the company flourished. Within a decade was able to make a run at joining the Corporate Court.
Which is just what they did in 2041, and did so with quite a bang. Contrary to how other megacorporations had gained power (through mergers and acquisition mostly), Yamatetsu launched a low level corporate shadow war. They were able to exploit their enemy's low expectations against them, and were even able to position their enemies into fighting one another.
Saeder-Krupp, Ares Macrotech, and Aztechnology and several smaller A and AA corporations supported Yamatetsu in a bid to break the Japanacorp control of the Corporate Court and a better bargaining position in the future respectively. This low level shadow war, even went so far as to start seeing legitimate corporate military assets entering into the fray.
Utlimately, Yamatestu was victorious in their endeavor and joined the Corporate Court in 2042.
All was not well in the kingdom of Yamtetsu though. Behind the scenes, a Japanese man named Hideo Yoshida was secretly organizing a buy out of the Filipino held stock. Not only was he doing this, he was also ordering the other Japanese directors to do so as well. Rumours have it t that Yoshida had the backing of several Japanese megacorps, in an attempt so sow discord from within Yamatetsu.
Within a short time Yoshida’s plans came to fruition. The Japanese contingent had gathered enough stock to name Yoshida as the Chairman of the board, effectively exiling Shibanokuji and purging the Fillipino directors from the board.
During Yoshida’s buy out, an anomaly appeared. It seemed that eleven percent of the stock in Yamatetsu had been snapped up by an unknown buyer. Everyone feared the worst, because it had the hallmark of a corporate takeover in waiting. When the purchases were traced they found that this mystery investor had pulled a similar power move in almost a dozen other major corporations. Yoshida, and the board, called an imediate meeting of the board and issued an invitation to the mystery investors representatives.
When the meeting was held, the board was stunned to see a female Japanese teenager sitting in the mystery man’s position. They had expected a team of negotiators ready to begin the corporate takeover, but instead they were met with Ms. Buttercup. She quickly explained that she had recently inherited quite a sum of money, and knew that a smart investment in Yamatestsu would yield more yet. Shibanokuji immediately made an offer on her shares in an attempt to get back into his Chairman spot, but she turned down the offer, even if it was twice as much as she had paid. She wanted to sit on the board, and that’s what she did.
For almost a decade she sat and quietly watched the situation around her. She hardly ever interfered in the politics and power playing that when on in the boardroom. Instead she watched and learned… She also offered her wealth and influence to struggling divisions inside of Yamatetsu to help them overcome temporary hurdles.
Yoshida was not happy with this mystery woman though and spent a considerable amount of money on discovering her true identity. He even went so far to higher an espionage expert named Jacques Barnard. Barnard was a corporate climber and did his best to uncover Buttercups true nature.
Sadly, before he could succeed, Yoshida’s eight year reign as Chairman was brought to an end. During this era he expanded the corporations holdings in Japan, bought out the “mom and pop consortium” that had founded the company, and brought Yamatetsu in line with the other Japanese megacorporations. Together, they made Japan the world's economic leader.
That all came to an end in 2050 when Todamako Shibanokuji won back his seat as chairman. It was an eight year long struggle, and it showed on Shibanokuji and in his actions. Yamatetsu was changing, and in a direction not in line with traditional Japanese corporate culture. For starters, they began integrating kawaruhitos (metahumans) into management positions. Yamatetsu had always focused on metahuman products, but this new move infuriated the intolerant Japanese government. Yamatetsu decided to limit the number of metahumans allowed into management positions to a small number in an effort to appease the government.
About nine months after Shibanokuji's return to the chairman position, Buttercup revealed to the Board of Directors her true nature as a Free Spirit. No one knows why she made this announcement, but it ended up hurting Yamatetsu both internally and externally.
But, Buttercup proved herself to be a master of corporate politics over the next six years. Some whisper that she was the power behind Todamako Shibanokuji's return to the Chairman seat. We do know that it was at her behest that the Board passed legislation lifting the limit on metahumans allowed into management positions in 2056.
Shibankuji wasn't the only person Buttercup buddy'd up to though. Newton Chin's sister was a dwarf and had "radical views" on metahumanity, and thus they were natural allies. Ramon Dizon (the leader of the Filipino minority) was also brought into line with promises of future support to bring Yamatestsu back to its roots, and to band together with other corporations against the economic tyranny of Renraku, MCT, Fuchi, and Shiawase.
Todamako Shibankuji fought to retain his corporation throughout Buttercups maneuvers. The Japanese Ministry of Trade started an inquiry into the number of metahumans in management positions inside of Yamatetsu. Those inquiries turned into probes, and those probes caused production problems for the corporation, which in turn caused a loss of profits. The Japanese governments ultimatum, while unstated, was eminently clear: Get rid of the metahumans, and the profits will start flowing again.
Whether it was the loss of profits, or the rise of metahuman middle managers, no one can tell, but we do know that something spurred former Chairman Hideo Yoshida, and current CEO Saru Iwano to take matters into their own hands.
On January 7, 2059 Todamako Shibanokuji suffered from a massive stroke that left him bedridden (and just as importantly for Iwano and Yoshida) silent. As per the instructions of his living will, Todamako's voting stock went to Iwano "until the medical crisis was over". Iwano used his newfound stock to push through a vote making Yoshida the Chairman of the Board once more. And the two began working hand in hand to right Yamtetsu's course back into line with the other Japanese keiretsu.
Six weeks later, Todamako Shibanokuji died from his stroke. For the next several weeks Buttercup was busy buying up every single spare scrap of stock in Yamatetsu that was out there for (then) unknown reasons.
Also, Shibanokuji's voting stock was taken from Iwano, and given to Shibanokuji's estate... In this case a long abandoned son named Yuri. This son had been abandoned almost forty years previously when the wave of Goblinization struck Yuri, transforming him into an ork. His mother and himself were sent away to hide Todamako's shame, and lived in Vladivstock Russia for most of his life.
With his father's death though (and at the urging of Buttercup), Yuri came to Kyoto to take his father's place on the Board. However, having a metahuman on the board was just the first shake up. With the help of Buttercup's alliance with Newton Chin, they were able to push Yuri into the position of Chairman of the Board, ousting Yoshida a second time.
This caused the stock to drop and division in the ranks. The more conservative elements of the company made it quite clear that Yuri needed to abdicate his position or die. When it became clear that he wasn't going to step down (two days later), an unknown assassin attempted to carry through with the threat. Yuri was shot in the chest, but managed to survive.
Many thought that the attack on his life would force Yuri to step down. Instead, however, it seemed to steel his resolve. When he returned to the boardroom he brought with him an unthinkable plan. He wanted to move the corporate headquarters of Yamatetsu to Vladivstock. This was unthinkable, even to Yuri's few supporters... That is, until Buttercup gave a twenty-five minute speech urging the board to vote for Yuri's plan. She also brought forth a staggering amount of voting stock (both owned, and proxy) and called on Ramon Dizon's assistance. With the minority bloc Dizon brought with him, Yuri's stock, and Buttercup's own they were able to force the vote in their favor.
Remembering her debt to Dizon, Buttercup worked closely with Wuxing Inc. to join the Pacific Prosperity Group (PPG). The PPG was a coalition of corporations that banded together to fight against the Japanacorps economic dominance in a call that hearkened back to Yamatetsu's own beginnings.
Buttercup was able to use the confusion of the move, and the financial backing of the PPG to attain a 37% majority of Yamatetsu stock. Between her, Yuri, Rizon, and the Filipinno minority they Japanese backers were suddenly outgunned when it came to passing a vote in the boardroom. They were now the minority, and any hope of working with the other Japanacorps went right out the window.
The move to Vladivostok took almost two years, but we'll leave off there. The move, the maneuvering that when on in the boardroom, and the power plays at work really belong more to Evo's [Know Your Enemy], So I'll make sure to begin there.
Major Divisions
- Yamatestu North America
- Yamatetsu South America
- Yamatetsu Australasia
- Yamatetsu Asia
- Yamatetsu India
- Yamatetsu Middle East
- Yamatetsu Europe
Major Subsidiaries
- Crashcart Medical Services Corporation
- MetaErgonomics
- Pensodyne
- Tsuruga International
- Xiao Technologies
- Yamatetsu Naval Technologies
Index
- Corporate Download p110-113
- Corporate Shadowfiles Appendix VII
- Corporate Guide p. 79-81
- Blood in the Boardroom p. 72-74
