The Otomo family’s only castle and by far their most impressive possession. Its location and nature through the Empire’s history tell a great deal about the Otomo family’s purposes and status.
Kyuden Otomo is situated within the Forbidden City, the walled innermost portion of Otosan Uchi. It is the only structure there which is even close to the height of the Imperial Palace itself, but is carefully constructed to ensure the Otomo do not in any way overshadow that building – theirs is always clearly the lesser location. The building is positioned near one of the main gates into the Inner City, a location that reflects that all Rokugani, before they can reach the Imperial Palace and the Emperor’s own court, must pass under the watchful eye of the servants of the Emperor. A palatial and magnificent estate, it holds offices for much of the Imperial Bureaucracy in its lower floors and attendant buildings, and is opulent enough to host several Winter Courts in years when it was deemed inappropriate for the Emperor to travel out of the capital.