Time

Time in Rokugan is measured in several ways. The seasons are the most obvious division of time, as the weather in Rokugan switches from oppressive heat during the summer months to crippling snow in the winter. A more formal system of months and days also exists, dividing the year into twelve months of 28 days. Additionally, the years themselves can be counted in two different systems: the Emperor's Right, which refers to the year of the reign of the Emperor and is the official method of recording the passage of time; and the Isawa Calendar, which measures the number of years since the founding of Gisei Toshi, Isawa's city.

Seasons
The seasons of Rokugan define what sorts of activities can happen at any given time. The summers are harsh and the winters more so. All of Rokugan revolves around the cyclical march of the seasons and the limitations they impose.

Spring
Winters in Rokugan are harsh, and the coming of spring is a return to normal life for most of Rokugan's inhabitants. The farmers across the land return to their work, planting the year's crops. The courtiers gain the prestige of having the treaties and agreements they drew up at the Empire's various winter courts finally ratified. Merchants begin crossing the land, bringing their wares to a populace eager to see anyone from outside their own communities. It is also a time of many celebrations, particularly the Cherry Blossom Festivals that take place across Rokugan.

Summer
During the summer, Rokugan is filled with heat and humidity. There is little rain, and there are frequent droughts. Making war is very difficult during the heat of the summer, so the battles are generally few. The summer lasts until the winds off the seas bring monsoons, turning the lands to mud, flooding the rice fields across the Empire and heralding the onset of autumn.

Autumn
Autumn is a time of preparation. The year's crops are harvested, and the year's tax is collected. There is a time for war, but by the end of the season, all armies are returning to their homes for shelter from the coming cold.

Winter
Winter is a time of strangling cold. The snow and ice that fall across the Empire make the roads impassible, trapping everyone wherever they happen to be. The nobles of Rokugan retreat for the season into winter courts across the land. There, the courtiers of the clans go to work securing alliances and trade agreements and the artisans of the land try their hardest to impress their skills upon all who are near.