Like the Fisherman's Quarter, this part of town has a distinctive smell. In this case, it comes from all the human refuse that's hauled through the area day in, day out, every day of the year. However, the stench is relieved by the prevailing winds (in this, perhaps, the eta are fortunate to be outside the city walls). The houses here are simple mud and timber affairs, but they're farther apart than those in the Fisherman Quarter - in fact, many of the leatherworkers grow flowers (but not poppies) around their homes in an attempt to freshen things up. The clay soil makes this tough if they don't fertilize, but since the fertilizer is the cause of the problem, most content themselves with unimpressive blossoms.
Avisitor's second impression (after the aroma) is likely to run
something like this; flat, brown, bright. It's flat because there are
few structures above one story. It's brown because the roads are
unpaved, the buildings are covered with mud, and the inhabitants
aren't allowed to dye their clothes. Finally, it's bright, because the
houses are spread out and this lets a lot of daylight into the area,
making it a contrast to the cramped, dim city interior.
It's also comparatively quiet - or at least it gets quiet real
fast when outsiders visit. When those outsiders are samurai, the
only sound is the squelch of knees and foreheads hitting the
ground.
A samurai who enters an eta's house (which is almost
unthinkable) may be surprised to find it clean, tidy and pleasant
(albeit very plain). The leatherworkers tend towards extremes
about cleanliness; some never give it a second thought, while
others are very fastidious and never enter their houses without a
good wash.(After all, if you work in fil th all day, you don't want
to come home to it)