Oryou

1. #1selective

   Keys: Sensha-dō

   Sensha-dō is a form of martial arts that involves the use of tanks as weapons. This martial art is exclusive for women who start practicing it as early as from elementary school up to high school, university and adulthood. According to an old film called “Introduction to Sensha-dō”, the purpose of Sensha-dō is for women to grow their self-esteem, assist them in becoming professional and efficient citizens and develop the characteristics necessary to become good wives and mothers. Given the film was released in 1939 and sound more like propaganda, by the time of the events featured in the anime Sensha-dō is seen and treated more like a sport in which girls have fun and compete generally in a friendly way and where you have, like in most modern-day sports, leagues, tournaments, regulations, teams and spectators watching Sensha-dō matches in the stands or in television.

2. #2selective

   Keys: Tankathlon

   Tankathlon is an unofficial form of martial arts, like Sensha-do it uses tanks as weapons, however it lacks Japan Senshado Federation's (JSF) regulations and approval rules, traditionalism and values of it, which makes it marginalized among senshado practitioners and seniors. It involves two opposing teams, each possessing their own set of tanks, combating in Flag Battle matches, the only type of match known for now. During the first Tankathlon matches bogus tanks were used.

   Many school carriers senshado teams are adopting tankathlon for various reasons, which are: lack of a big arsenal, practicing matches, different in-battle challenges, interest in this type of setting.

   While some schools use their real name in Tankathlon, other more prestigious schools practice under an alias so as to not compromise themselves in an unofficial sport.

3. #3selective

   Keys: Tankathlon's rules

   As tankathlon is unconsidered by the JSF, it has its Tankathlon Committee, they are responsible to set the opponents, the matches' date, place and any other matter involving the event, however, unlike JSF they will not cover the costs for repairing the damages caused to structures or viewers and others conditions included in Senshado Competition Regulations.

   For now, there is only one known rule, where the tanks' weight must be below 10 tons, limiting the battle for light tanks and tankettes only.

   The lack of rules allows the matches to unofficially happen anywhere, both in rural settings, where viewers can stay in the middle of the battlefield watching if they want and in urban areas, where the citizens/viewers are in the middle of the match. It is the total responsibility of the viewers to ensure their own safety against being hit by a tank or shells.

4. #4selective

   Keys: Kuromorimine

   Kuromorimine is based in Kumamoto City. However, as their school ship is too large to dock at any of the ports in Kumamoto Prefecture, they have to dock elsewhere.

   Kuromorimine is the most well-known and respected school in the high school Sensha-dō league, a reputation gained by their excellent standard of Sensha-dō. The school adheres to the generations-old doctrine of the Nishizumi style, which, backed by a large arsenal of powerful tanks, ensures it is recognized as the strongest and most prestigious of the Sensha-dō schools.

   As a result, the school is highly focused around Sensha-dō, to the point where the Sensha-dō team is held in adoration by the other students. This emphasis creates a school atmosphere that places high value on the principles of justice, law-abiding conduct, persistence and determination. However, it is also the strict and rigid doctrines of the Nishizumi style that translate into the classroom, creating an exacting, punitive and high-pressure environment amongst the students that has only recently begun to change.

   Although the school is universally respected for its strength, it is disliked by many of the other high schools for its rigid victory-oriented style and distinct lack of moralistic concessions, which ultimately culminated with the controversy of Miho Nishizumi's actions during the 62nd National High School Sensha-dō Tournament.

5. #5selective

   Keys: Pravda

   Pravda is a school based in the Aomori Prefecture, the northernmost prefecture on the island of Honshu.

   A well known and highly respected school in the Sensha-dō league, Pravda are amongst the top performers in every competition, and were the defending champions at the time of the anime series.

   In contrast to most other schools, Pravda is not run by a student council, and is instead under the rule of the Sensha-dō captain, Katyusha, who exerts her authority in a dictatorship-esque fashion. Many of the school 'rules' are a consequence of the hapless first year students running to obey Katyusha's every whim.

   The school environment is highly punitive, with persistent references to "purges", "gulags" and "Siberian mines" as forms of punishments for those who upset the commander. The liberal and subjective manner in which these punishments are distributed invokes many taboo actions or opinions, often regarding Katyusha's height. Katyusha's excessive disciplining is balanced by vice-commander Nonna, who considerately scales down the sentence to more traditional punishments, like forced labor or "extra homework in a classroom without windows".

   Pravda also have an underground railway facility to navigate through winter storms in the carrier's lower deck. The railway is connected to everywhere on the school ship and was originally used for mailing purpose. They also had a night train but it was abolished.

6. #6selective

   Keys: Anzio

   Anzio High School lies in Tochigi Prefecture and have its port in Shizuoka Prefecture. It is a relatively small school compared to the other main schools. In the past, there was a lot of Sensha-dō activity, but due to a lack of funds and the fact that there were only tankettes, light tanks, and self-propelled guns, it was difficult to win against more powerful schools, so the team gradually declined. However, in recent years, Sensha-dō has been revitalized under Anchovy's leadership.

   Anzio's culture places heavy emphasis on festivities and feasts; they have close ties with Waffle Academy and Blue Division High School due to their love of food, and the schools often reunite in internationally-known food festivals. They are also known for their extravagant post-match parties to thank all participants and officials, regardless of the outcome of the match. Due to the school's poverty, all clubs are encouraged to have street food stalls to raise funds. their popularity raised beyond the schoolship as in addition to residents and students many tourists come to Anzio making them a valuable source of revenue. Most of the food sold at these stalls is made from crops harvested on campus, which keeps the cost of raw materials low. In addition, the labor costs are "self-initiated" by the students, so the prices are low for the taste and volume of the food, which is also the reason for its popularity. They also earn funds through Tankathlon.

   It is said by other schools that Anzio's students only have enthusiasm and spirit going for them. But they are also very friendly and impulsive; their impulsiveness is the main cause of the school's poverty. Due to their far-from-frugal attitude, the school's budget is largely allocated to snack times and personal spending. The students often get carried away in the moment and don’t dwell much on the details. They enjoy their carefree life to the fullest and put all their energy into the pleasures at hand. They also known to be fair winners and losers, as regardless of the outcome of the match they always organize their after-match parties, which to them are the most important part.

   Most of Anzio's students came from Tochigi, Shizuoka and Aichi prefectures. Many of the students who have trained at their food stalls have greatly improved their culinary skills during their time at school, and of those interested in cooking, many go into the culinary field after graduation.

7. #7selective

   Keys: St. Gloriana

   St. Gloriana is a school located in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. St. Gloriana is a rich, refined school with well groomed students. They have been known to consume tea and cakes even during Sensha-dō battles.

   It is a very famous and privileged school, with Sensha-dō as a major part of the school's culture. The school Sensha-dō team is a serious threat in the field, however, it has traditionally been marginally weaker than the likes of Kuromorimine and Pravda, its key opponents. As a result of this, it has been a long time since the school last won the national championship.

   A lot of the school's funds come from alumnae donations. This also means the graduates ended up influencing tank selection, hence their conservative tank selections despite their wealth.

   The school has a very stringent selection process to even be enrolled. Students aim to become a part of the "Tea Garden", the building wherein gather the best of the best students in grades and behaviour. These elite students are trusted by all and given soul names of teas.

   After graduation, the Tea Garden members join one of the three major factions of the alumnae organizations, and they run regular meetings to oversee how their school should be run, especially on how the next generation of Sensha-dō leaders is to be chosen.

   St. Gloriana is occasionally known to host tea parties for highly respected peers. It also has a tradition of offering tea as a gift to opponents, usually individuals, who they deem worthy.

   St. Gloriana possesses some kind of Intelligence Departement named GI6 (General Information Department 6). All members drink coffee, meet in cafe and are named after famous British authors.

8. #8selective

   Keys: Saunders

   Saunders is a large school based in Sasebo, Nagasaki.

   In terms of Sensha-dō, Saunders is recognized as a major threat to all parties in the Sensha-dō league, and have material resources well beyond that of any other school. Saunders easily have enough tanks to customize their line-up to combat certain opponents, and can also back their team indirectly with a large array of support facilities before and after the match.

   Saunders is well known for being the richest of all the Japanese high schools. The students shamelessly thrive off their comfortable budget with an overall lenient curriculum. The school atmosphere is high-spirited and laid back. In addition to this, the current school commander, Kay, has a hobby for parties and an endless internal reservoir of energy, which leads to Saunders throwing huge parties for any and every possible reason (or none at all).

   Unlike most other schools, students from other schools passing nearby are encouraged to stop by for a visit. Saunders also throws parties, contests, and festivals that are open for anyone to participate in. These parties are marked by their hype and ridiculously oversized portions of fast food.

   Saunders’ arsenal of Sensha-dō equipment is vast, as the school is unhindered by the financial constraints that affect their peers. Despite their potential for obtaining all kinds of powerful equipment, however, the maintenance of such a massive fleet of tanks causes bulk of their force to be variants of the M4 Sherman.

9. #9selective

   Keys: Ooarai

   Ōarai Girls' Academy is a school originating from Ōarai Town, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan.

   The school is far smaller than other schools shown in the anime, and has lately been losing students. Ōarai's only notable feature, its Sensha-dō club, was suspended many years ago for unknown reasons. Until the club's revival in the events of the anime series, the school had no overall focus and lacked any outstanding features. This, in addition to the fact that the school has been losing money for several years, placed it at risk of closure at the hands of the Ministry of Education.

   Ōarai Girls' Academy is the new school of the main protagonist Miho Nishizumi, who transferred in primarily because the school did not practice Sensha-dō. Its Sensha-dō team had been disbanded long ago but was revived by Anzu Kadotani in a bid to avert the school's closure. The school's history of Sensha-dō has faded into distant memory, to the point that few records remain of their exploits. Other clubs, such as the volleyball club, have also been recently disbanded as necessitated by budgetary constraints.

   The school received high publicity in the year of the 63rd National High School Sensha-dō Tournament. Its newly revived senshado club entered the tournament under the command of Miho Nishizumi, a former Kuromorimine student and the central figure in a controversial incident in the previous year's tournament. Despite its initial infamy, Ōarai Girls' Academy soon gained popular attention as its assorted collection of tanks defeated multiple senshado powerhouses, including the defending champions, claiming the championship despite having fought every match at a numerical disadvantage with substandard equipment and inexperienced crews.

   Throughout the 63rd National High School Sensha-dō Tournament, the school developed close friendships with the other major Sensha-dō schools competing in the tournament. It also became an inspiration for many other schools across the nation, creating a surge in Sensha-dō activity amongst minor schools, the result of which has dramatically elevated Ōarai's status within the MEXT department.

10. #10selective

    Keys: Jatsokota, Continuation, Keizoku

    In 1782, Daikokuya Kodayu was washed ashore by a storm in the Russian Aleutian Islands, and the Finnish-born naturalist Kirill Laxman took him under his protection. After receiving great assistance from Laxman to return to Japan, Kodayu visited Saint Petersburg to ask the Empress Catherine II for permission to return. He returned to Japan with Kirill's son, Adam. Adam was the first Russian envoy to Japan and arrived in Nemuro in February 1792. This was the first exchange between Finland and Japan. However, at that time Finland was a Swedish territory. On this occasion, the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Russia failed, but sporadic exchanges with Finland continued after that. Particularly, when Finland gained independence in 1917, Japan actively supported the Finnish independence movement, and in 1919, Japan sent the first resident envoy from Asia to Finland.

    This support had been provided via the Trans-Siberian Railway, but gradually it became more and more focused on ships and the search for the shortest possible Arctic Sea route. In fact, in 1879, the Finnish scholar and adventurer Nordenskiold reached Japan via the Arctic Ocean Passage. However, the construction of icebreakers was slow on the Japanese side. In the end, an icebreaker purchased from Germany and named "Hakusan Maru" was moored at Kanazawa Port and used several times to transport goods to Finland. However, the length of time the Arctic Sea route could be used was too brief for stable trade, as even icebreakers could not pass through when the route froze over in the winter. In the end, the Hakusan Maru remained tied up in Kanazawa harbor and later became the first school ship of Continuation High School. The reasons for this was that the climate of Ishikawa Prefecture was similar to that of Finland, and many Finns had originally settled in the prefecture, with the port of Kanazawa being used as a base for Finnish trade even after the Arctic Sea route was discontinued.

    Continuation High School is located in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture. It is a relatively small school compared to the other main schools but it has a very active Sensha-dō program. It is a relatively isolated school that seems to interact sparingly with other schools compared to their peers. Drawing inspiration from Finnish tank models for their Sensha-dō lineup has left Continuation with very limited options. The smaller size of their school places strict financial limits on their arsenal, and thus students prefer to invest in upgrades to their existing tanks as opposed to buying new ones. In order to acquire new vehicles, Continuation crews have a habit of stealing tanks from their rivals and using them for themselves, this has lead to (ongoing) disputes with other schools, and has further contributed to Continuation's outcast status.

    Continuation's students could be described as shy and reserved. They are patient and prefer solitude, but they are also honest and moral, and once they become friends, they tend to be extremely friendly. They are also good listeners, and rarely initiate conversations; so it is not uncommon for time to pass without any conversation even when several people gather together. They do, however, put a lot of effort into education in the fields of culture and the arts, and can be very talkative in these areas. They are very skilled in maintenance and even scrap vehicles can be made to work properly, they are also considered to be highly skilled gunners and drivers. They are also known to have made a Christmas market to promote Finnish food and pastries.

11. #11selective

    Keys: BC Freedom

    The story of BC Freedom Academy begins with Maginot Girls' Academy and their insatiable lust for wine.

    Due to problems acquiring a steady supply of wine grapes, it was considered to be more economical to build not one, but two schools for the sole purpose of supplying Maginot. Thus began the story of BC High School and Freedom High School.

    Freedom High School hailed from the city of Okayama, the capital city of Okayama Prefecture. Their vineyards flourished and expanded, eventually dominating their school ship.

    BC High School originally hailed from the landlocked city of Tsuyama, in Okayama Prefecture. Their ventures into growing wine grapes ended in failure, forcing them to look elsewhere. They found moderate success by focusing on general education, home economics, commercial, and manufacturing classes. Both schools found their purposes, but it didn't last.

    Due to administrative blunders and funding cuts, both schools deteriorated to a point where it was no longer considered economical for both schools to be kept afloat. It was then decided by the administration to take advantage of the situation by promoting inter-school relationships with a union of two different but similar schools. Thus the story of BC Freedom Academy begins. BC High School's former location in Tsuyuma was kept as the school grounds, while they kept Freedom High School's former location in Okayama as the port for their school ship.

    The union backfired. It became a colossal failure, with distrust and mutual hatred between the former two schools now forced to occupy a single ship. With its nonexistent teamwork and constant power struggle, the union only managed to waste even more funds and damage the administration’s reputation even further. Eventually the power struggle sputtered out into a Freedom side domination, but the tensions continue and the frustrations are still accumulating.

    Since then they have attempted to request additional support from Kuromorimine, Saunders, and St. Gloriana, but due to the sheer number of requests from other schools, they are not taken seriously.

    BC Freedom is divided into the affluent Escalator students and the middle-to-lower class Examination students, mirroring the pre-revolutionary French Second and Third Estates respectively. This social divide has caused great discord between the two groups. The Escalator students think of the Examination students as unrefined, classless outsiders, while the Examination students think of the Escalator students as sheltered, condescending, and arrogant.

    These two groups fight over anything and everything. One notable fight was about food: the Examination students would not eat the fancy, luxurious, and very expensive French food being served on the ship, while Escalator students would never lower their standards to serving common food, such as Udon. The Examination group even staged a protest against the food being served.

12. #12selective

    Keys: All-Stars University Team, University Select Team

    The team's members are recruited from universities across Japan, usually from elite national, public, and private schools such as "T-dai" (Tokyo University), "K-dai" (Keio University) or "O-dai" (Osaka University). While on the team they undergo rigorous training, preparing them to be integrated into various professional teams once they graduate. Their current commander is Alice Shimada, the heir to the house of the Shimada style, which is a rival to the Nishizumi house.

    They have a unique range of vehicles at their disposal ranging from Shermans and Panthers to large siege guns and super heavy tank destroyers. During the annihilation match, however, the majority of their tanks were tanks that would later see action in service of the United Nations during the Korean War.

    The team attend their meetings and Sensha-dō trainings at one location somewhere in Tokyo.

    As an official member of the Sensha-dō Federation, the team has access to high funding, sophisticated equipment and high priority with respect to Sensha-dō training and provision. They frequently display the logo of the Sensha-dō Federation alongside their team insignia.

    The team is known to engage in exhibition matches with other institutions, such as the adult professional teams or, in one particular known case, a local high school.

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