Otosan Uchi is a well planned city. It consists of three rings. The outermost districts do not have any sort of clear separation from the surrounding countryside. Although districts of the city are well identified, as the city has grown in size and population it has slowly grown out as much as it has grown up. There is a wall that separates the docks from the rest of the city, built centuries ago due to imperial edict, however the rest of the outer districts to some degree blend into one another. Getting to or from the docks requires going through gates manned by Owl Clan samurai. There is a wall that separates the outer city from the inner city. One cannot get into the inner city without going through one of the gates. The inner city is where the samurai resides. There is yet one other wall, though not nearly as imposing of one, between the inner city districts and the heart of the city which is made up of Seppun Hill and, at the top, Shiro Hantei. Due to elevation, the top of Shiro Hantei.

Outer Districts
The outer districts of the city are occupied  by heimin and burakumin with most of the bustle of the city occurring in these districts. Naturally the districts are overseen by the samurai, but virtually all the samurai live in the inner districts and work in the outer districts. Even for samurai, the most exciting things are usually what happens in these outer districts. While the caste system of Rokugan still hangs heavily over the city, particularly as far as the burakumin are concerned, the lines between the classes are more often ignored in every day interaction in this region of the city than they do most anywhere else in Rokugan.

Hidari District
Generally governed by Otomo, the Hidari District is a rich district that attracts a lot of tourists. The best shops for buying high-end things like artwork, jewelry and even swords (though they are made elswhere) can be found here. It also has the finest restaurants that serve cuisine from all across Rokugan and beyond as well as the sake houses one must go to if one wishes to see a performance by the most elite and requested of geisha performers. The shops of the Hidari district are known to open fairly late and except for certain more exclusive sake houses, close earlier than many other districts. This is because the wealthy that can afford houses here have enough influence to ensure their town is quiet at night.

Ochiyo District
Generally governed by the Seppun. Ochiyo is known as the temple district. Perhaps unsurprisingly it is primarily filled with shinseist monasteries, but shrines to all the fortunes and the shrines to many of the Owl Clan ancestors are also found in this district. Many holy, or at least historical, relics are kept here and often go on display only one day a year. Those who visit here can find the perfect shrine to pray for whatever guidance they wish as well as buy charms that promise luck in all sorts of pursuits. Additionally there are no shortage of fortunetelling shops where one can have their astrological charts read and receive horoscopes. Those who wish to join the Brotherhood might first stop here. Naturally there are also a number of restaurants here, but primarily only those designed to allow people to duck in for a quick lunch or snack on their strolls through the districts.

Hayasu District
The Hayasu district is probably the most famous in all Otosan Uchi. Those who have made their fortune being merchants and artisans within the city make their homes here-- and do a great deal to show off their opulence. With the tallest buildings in the city and large, sprawling gardens full of rare trees and statues, the Hayasu district arguably outshines any of the inner city districts as the jewel of the city. Naturally the high end workshops are found here and many merchants make pilgrimages here in hopes of striking deals with the richest in town-- there is little here for the average citizens unless they are simply here to gawk at the homes of the wealthy. Although this district typically has a member of the Hantei family appointed as governor, in reality the richest of the richest of the families that live here are in practice the real governors with whichever samurai is appointed being a mere figurehead.

Hinjaku
Governed by the Miya family, the Hinjaku district is one of the largest and certainly the busiest of the districts. It has complex, winding roads of two and three story buildings and it is likely there is a very different shop on every floor and maybe another on the sublevel as well. It is the greatest collection of merchants and artisans found anywhere in Rokugan and the number one place for most in Rokugan to go looking for the goods they want and haggle for good bargains. Most people who go to Otosan Uchi go, at least in part, to visit this district and for those who live there visiting here is a daily routine. Although plenty of shops do fail, there are always more looking to replace them-- so much so that there are always parts of the district undergoing reconstruction for a new person to take over the building and the buildings are always getting bigger.

Meiyoko District
Governed by the Hanako family, the Meiyoko district is also known as the theater district. There are plenty of theaters and musical halls here. However, in reality, the district is probably best known for its sake houses, bath houses, geisha and street performers. Merchants sell woodprint picturebooks, a surprising amount of which contain erotic content. Everything in the Meiyoko district opens late and stays open until the wee hours of the morning. There are many tales about what goes on in this district, but most of them are quite exaggerated-- things here generally get far less exciting than Zakyo Toshi or Ryoko Owari. Even so, seeing samurai and merchant alike drunk beyond their wits wandering the streets, trying to recall the way home while singing a song they saw a geisha perform is a not uncommon sight.

Toyotomi District
Governed by the Yoshun family, this is the single largest district of Otosan Uchi, but also the least interesting. The Toyotomi district is where the vast majority of the heimin of the city reside-- including those who work either days or nights in the inner city districts. The streets of this district are most crowded during the hours when different workers start or end their jobs for the day while being so entirely barren during the hours inbetween that they are the one area of Otosan Uchi where one can wander for a while and not expect to encounter anyone. There are various tales of hauntings of long abandoned buildings here, but for the most part this is just where people rest while not at work and where heimin children are raised and schooled. There are some shops in this district, but mostly only those who aim to sell snacks and food or household items that it might be inconvenient to travel all the way to the Hinjaku district to purchase and they really only see customers during the morning and evening rush hours.

Hojize District
Governed by the Satoshi family the Hojize district is the one district that no one ever talks about. This is where the Burakumin live and where the business they carry out is conducted. Butcher shops and leather makers are here, and this is also where both garbage and the bodies of the deceased from other districts are brought to be burned. There is constantly black smoke rising off this district and a heavy, foul stench hangs over the entire district-- and those who occupy neighboring districts are quick to complain when the wind carries that stink anywhere else. It is common for the Hojize District to simply not be labeled on most maps of the city and it is considered impolite to speak of it. Even when it is mentioned, often euphemisms are used.

Docks
The docks are the lifeblood of Otosan Uchi. While the lands intersect with those of the Crane and Phoenix, even those two clans bring in most of their good through the docks in addition to the Mantis and Crab ships. Even the Dragon and Scorpion usually arrive in Otosan Uchi via river ships that eventually make their way to these docks. The docks are also the primary location for foreigners to Rokugan to dock in order to do trade with the country. The docks are divided between the east and west docks-- people are generally advised to go to the west Kosuga. Foreigners are supposed to remain within these two districts, they are only allowed into the city proper if in the company of a samurai. Even though one would expect the Kasuga of all families to be more understanding, samurai with heavy foreign ancestry might have trouble getting back into the city after visiting here if they don't bring something to identify them as a proper member of a clan. Heimin with foreign ancestry have been known to visit here only to never be able to get back into the city again.

Kosuga District
Governed by the Kasuga family, the Kosuga district is the most cosmopolitan of all districts in the city. It is where the vast majority of the goods come in and leave Otosan Uchi. All the merchants and artisans within the city are very much reliant on getting their supplies in through this dock for finished goods to be made in the city. The district is heavily crowded and is the area one can find the most acetic group of both clans and foreigners. Ships are always being built, repaired and transporting goods. The land is primarily occupied by warehouses, though there are plenty of residents of this area as well. Many representatives of shops arrive here before dawn to haggle for goods to sell within the city. However any proper shops are almost nonexistent.


Higashikawa District
Generally technically governed by the Hyobe or Yotsu, in practice this district has primarily been taken over by Yakuza interests. The Higashikawa district is still the primary fishing district and those who still work in the fishing industry in Otosan Uchi still work and reside here. Naturally the fish are gutted and cleaned here before being sent into the inner city. The area is known for being the one part of Otosan Uchi with a high crime rate, but also for being an area that has many foreign and exotic attractions as well as the best place to get very cheap seafood. The image of the district is that it is always covered with thick fog, though in reality all of Otosan Uchi is prone to heavy morning and evening fog and it perhaps just hangs here a little more than the other areas due to its location. Many ronin make their homes in the Higashikawa district and it is a pretty open secret that if one is looking to hire sell swords that these docks are the place to go.


Inner Districts
The inner districts are home to the samurai of the city. Most of the Owl Clan resides within the inner districts, although the Kasuga, Miya, Otomo and Seppun all have castles or palaces elsewhere where the heads of the families reside, and it is also where those from other clans reside within the city or stay while visiting.

Hito District
The Hito district is best known for its large park and zoo filled with exotic animals from both around Rokugan and abroad. The area is also home to museums filled with foreign oddities and art. There are libraries that have attempted to map and catalog both all of Rokugan and the lands abroad. The district is generally home to the Miya, Yotsu and those of the Fukumachi family who are at least second generation. However the district is also where the Unicorn and Mantis generally reside as well as those of Minor Clan status.
Fukumachi, Miya, Yotsu, Unicorn, Mantis and Minor Clans. Suffice to say that of all the inner city districts, the proper ways and customs of Rokugan are least often observed here. However all of their odd customs can occasionally lead to clashes between the various groups.

Kanjo District
The Kanjo District is one of the greatest hubs of both visual and performance art in all of the empire. It has often been the home for swordsman competitions and dueling tournaments to decide who has the swiftest blade in Rokugan. The buildings and fashion of this district can be quite elaborate and flashy. It is common to see murals on scrolls on many of the walls. Great care has been taken in making this perhaps the singular district of Otosan Uchi that is more about beauty over function. However this is also the legal district and the libraries that the Owl Clan is most well known for are found here. They contain records of every imperial edict, and every court case that the Owl Clan have taken part in or were present to record. The finest legal minds reside in this area and anyone who wishes to learn the law would be best advised to spend some time living in Otosan Uchi and learning in this district. The Hanaka, Otomo, Tsi and Yoshun families primarily reside in this district. In addition the Crane and Scorpion who live in Otosan Uchi primarily live here.

Chisei District
The Chisei district is full of libraries and museums. The ashes of the most renowned heroes of the Owl Clan as well as even some of those of other clans are interred here in order for proper respects to be paid to them. Statues of such heroes are found as nearly every intersection in this district. Those monk orders that retain their status as samurai as well as the shugenja schools are all located in this district. There are also some of the oldest, most cherished shrines in all of Rokugan, dating back to when the Kami first fell. This district is primarily home to the Reju, Seppun and Someisa families. It is also where the Dragon and Phoenix primarily reside.

Karada District
The Karada District is home to powerful, imposing buildings with minimal design-- looking more as though they were built to withstand a siege. This district is the banking district and plenty of koku is kept securely within the buildings here. Various trade deals between clans are worked out here-- in fact, it is common for any trade deal that involves more than two clans to be worked out here with a neutral mediator standing in. This district is also where a lot of the bushi schools are and where students train to be warriors. The Anou, Kasuga, Hyobe and Satoshi families primarily reside here. In addition the Crab Clan and Lion Clan usually reside here. However members of every clan's merchant families spend so much time here that they often have homes here.

The Heart of Otosan Uchi
The heart of Otosan Uchi is Seppun Hill, the former home of the Seppun tribe and where the Kami are said to have originally fell. Visiting the Heart of Otosan Uchi can be a jarring change from the Inner City as the homes, shrines and libraries of the Hantei family tend to be incredibly understated, simple and functional compared to those in the Inner City. Although military exercises are done here by those of the Hantei bushi school, the area has very peaceful and calm atmosphere-- as if one stepped into a whole different world from the bustling city that exists around it. Just being in such an environment seems to impose a more polite demeanor onto everyone. At the very top of Seppun Hill is Shiro Hantei, a palace that has been designed more to give off the sense of religious and historical significance than to show off the wealth and power of the Hantei family. The palace is said to be very minimalist in its design and to be almost free of any obvious artwork-- surrounded by sand gardens and bonsai trees and food and drinks served in often at least slightly flawed cups and dishes that are each unique and convey the mood and personality of the person who made it. It all gives off a very rustic and rural feel despite traveling here meaning having passed through unique wonders of Rokugan.
This message was last updated by the GM at 20:14, Thu 25 Feb 2021.