Kakita Sayuri

Kakita Sayuri of House Iwasaki was a courtier of the Crane Clan in the earliest days of Rokugan. She owned several geisha houses in the province of her Lord, Kakita Iwasaki, governor of Shiro Iwasaki.

Negotiations
Iwasaki was sent to deal with a border dispute the Kakita Daimyo Kakita Renshu had with a Phoenix shugenja named Isawa Jirichi. Iwasaki thought for days, but could not come up with a way to sway Jirichi, so when the time came for him to meet the Phoenix, Iwasaki was ready to accept his failure. Sayuri devised a plan to save his honor, and they moved to meet with Jirichi. Sayuri arranged an agreement with the Okasan of local finest geisha house, the Golden Lily. Due to her observant geisha spies, Sayuri offered Iwasaki a great deal of information that aided him in the negotiations. Finally, the Isawa relented and new clan borders were created that strongly favored the Crane.

Vassal Family
After his return, the Kakita Daimyo decided to grant Kakita Iwasaki vassal family status in return for his great performance. Iwasaki refused, and told his Lord the truth, requesting immediate retirement. Renshu asked Sayuri what had made her think to use the geisha to ply information from the courtier. She responded with what would soon become the Iwasaki family motto:

""A flower may go unnoticed, but every man relaxes amid the beauty of nature.""

- Iwasaki family motto

Renshu immediately declared Sayuri to be the Iwasaki family's first daimyo, granting her the city her lord had once commanded.