When I first started building the world of the Hikoboshi Series, I knew I wanted to explore societies that were just a little bit different from our own. One of the most fascinating (and frankly, a little terrifying) aspects of world-building is creating the social structures that govern people's lives. What do they value? How do they organize themselves? What happens when someone from the outside gets dropped right into the middle of it?
This is exactly what happens to my main character, Yumi, when she arrives in Shin-Osaka and gets her first real taste of Hikari society. She—and by extension, the reader—is in for a serious culture shock. Because on Hikari, your station in life isn't just an unspoken rule; it's written on the ground beneath your feet.
A Rude Awakening in Shin-Osaka
Imagine stepping off a shuttle onto a new world, expecting to find your footing, and instead discovering that society has already decided exactly where you belong. For Yumi, this moment happens on a train platform. As she follows her guide, Rin, he tells her to “use your powers of observation.” And what she observes is a system that feels both ancient and chillingly futuristic.
Lit paths on the ground explicitly declare five different class designations: daimyō, samurai, artisans, merchants, and farmers. The front of the train is reserved for the highest classes, and the back is for the lowest. It's a stark, visual representation of a social hierarchy that dictates every part of life. When Yumi whispers to Rin, “Looks like the caste system is alive and well here,” a woman in front of them overhears, glares, and then bows apologetically to Rin when she sees his status. Right away, we see that this system isn't just about where you stand to wait for a train; it's about who you defer to, who has the right-of-way, and where you fit in the grand scheme of things.
It's a Meritocracy… Or Is It?
Now, Rin is quick to defend the system. When Yumi points out that the farmers are at the back of the train, he tries to explain it away logically, but his core argument is this: “our system rewards those who climb the corporate ladder. Just take a look around you. All of these people work long days and nights. No one is stuck in their class if they want to do something different”.
And on the surface, that sounds fair, right? A meritocracy where hard work gets you ahead. But as Yumi learns more about Hikari, she starts to see the cracks in that facade. The system is far more rigid than Rin wants to admit, and it controls people's lives in ways that feel “artificial and wrong, inorganic and structured.”
Your Class Defines Your Life
So, how does this corporate caste system actually play out in daily life? It's woven into the very fabric of society.
Where You Stand (Literally)
The train platform is the most obvious example, but this public display of status is everywhere. People in uniform, like the samurai class that Rin belongs to, are given the right-of-way in public. People are expected to move aside for them. It creates a world where your value is constantly on display, judged by everyone you pass on the street.
Who You Bow To
Social etiquette is strictly enforced. When Rin's ex-wife and current boss, Atsumi, shows up, she wastes no time putting Yumi in her place. She looks Yumi up and down and says, “You will bow. I’m at least six levels above you”. It’s a raw display of power. This isn't just about respect for your elders; it's a mandated act of subservience based on your corporate level.
The Job You Can Get
The idea that “no one is stuck” is also questionable. When Yumi, a journalist and documentarian, suggests she might find work in the entertainment industry, Rin has to break the bad news. “Those corporations only hire within the artisans class,” he tells her. “Only the best and brightest”. So much for doing something different. Certain career paths are walled off, accessible only to those born into or assigned to the correct caste. This makes upward mobility a lot harder than it sounds.
Climbing (and Falling) the Ladder
So if you can move, how does it work? It all comes down to two things: your Level and your credits.
It's All About Levels and Credits
Each of the five classes is broken down into numerical levels. Rin, a top performer for his corporation, is a Level Ten Samurai. When Yumi is processed into the system, she's assigned to the Samurai class because of her association with Rin, but she starts at the bottom rung: Level One.
Falling down that ladder is terrifyingly easy. After a confrontation with a judge, Yumi is told: “I’ve downgraded Miss Minamoto’s status to Level Zero and docked her another ten thousand credits. I’m docking you ten thousand credits as well”. Every action has a consequence that is measured in credits, and a negative net worth can have dire outcomes, from jail time to exile. It's a system designed to keep everyone in line and working hard to stay afloat.
Property, Not People
This is probably the darkest part of the whole system. An individual's life is governed by a contract, and that contract can be bought, sold, and transferred between corporations [4, 8]. For Yumi, this becomes a horrifying reality. When she first arrives, she is technically the property of the corporation Aka Matsuba, but she is “Indentured to Rin Hara”. She belongs to him.
This is a point his coworker, Kengo, makes brutally clear. He doesn't see Yumi as a person, but as an acquisition.
“If you can’t keep your property in line, you’re going to have a hard time fitting in,” Kengo warns Rin. “You know I keep mine on a tight leash.”
“You have androids and animals. This is different.”
Kengo’s eyes widen. “It shouldn’t be. That’s the point.” He sighs, rolling his eyes. “Maybe you should’ve thought twice before picking up defective merchandise.” Rin’s face hardens, as Kengo looks me over from head to toe. “She’s not even pretty”.
“Defective merchandise.” “Property.” These aren't just insults; they reflect the core reality of this society. People can be owned. Their value is measured not by their humanity, but by their profitability and their ability to conform.
I love this review I got on Crash Land on Kurai…
Kindle Customer Review – 4 Stars
”A very interesting book. Good plot and a fascinating world. I feel like a lot of it is triggering, however. I was uncomfortable with the premise of owning people and selling them based on debt…”
Yes, it is uncomfortable and you should be uncomfortable at the idea of people owning each other. That's one of the major points of the story! (I'm glad the reviewer still gave it 4 stars. Lol.)
It’s this rigid, suffocating system that pushes a man as seemingly loyal as Rin to dream of something more. At the end of their first day, standing on that same train platform, he looks at Yumi, this outsider who questions everything, and confesses his deepest desire. “No. I want to be free, Yumi. We all need to be free, be united. We cannot keep going like this. You are the key. You’re my freedom”.
And that, right there, is the heart of the story. It’s not just about surviving in a new world; it’s about breaking it open.
Thanks for reading! Let me know in the comments what you think of Hikari's caste system. Would you be able to survive in it?
Start the Hikoboshi Series today with Crash Land on Kurai!
A brash journalist on a mission to a lost colony world must fight for her life after crash-landing in the middle of a corporate war. To save her people and uncover the planet’s darkest secrets, she must survive a society where life is cheap and androids are deadly. Start the Hikoboshi Series and join the fight today.
