Nawabari

Nawabari was the Rokugani term for stretching rope. The most important step in castle construction was the process of creating a nawabari. After selecting a location and before breaking ground, the castle architect created a stretched-rope plan, by placing stakes in the earth and stretching rope between them. The architect measured and arranged the entire castle grounds, down to the last wall. The castle's very soul was born during this first vital step; its fate was half-determined, making the creation of a nawabari the castle architect's highest and most prestigious art.