Shijou District

The Shijou District composes the major markets and riverside docks of Toshi Ranbo. It is a clearing-house for goods arriving in the city, and an economic battle­ground for those who wish to channel the flow of those goods. Trade agreements are the coin of this district's court, and the trade delegations from the Clans spend much effort here manoeuvring against their rivals. A Clan which cannot control the flow of its goods into the Imperial City is not only at an economic disadvantage but will also lose face, and with so many merchant pa­trons already embracing a somewhat un-samurai-like attitude, the tactics employed here can be somewhat cut-throat. Bribing the dock officials to delay or refuse sensitive shipments is a common tactic, and rival mer­chants frequently engage in nasty commercial disputes over the several marketplaces in the district.

The court of the Shijou District teaches the importance of duty like few others in the Empire, since the need to maintain a strong position for one's Clan can often trump all other considerations. Since Toshi Ranbo became the Imperial City, the Mantis Clan have maintained a strong presence in this district and its court indeed. one of the major Mantis ambassadorial residences is located here. However, the Phoenix Clan expulsion of the Mantis in the fall of 1170 for brawling with the Lion has weak­ened their position here.

The district governor and master of its court is Daidoji Kuro