The Noble Quarter of Ryoko Owari is a poem in stone. Its beauty has many levels; in addition to the
surface loveliness, which can be seen byany passing merchant or
mendicant, the Noble Quarter also serves as a metaphor for the
relationship between its dwellers and the rest of the city. Just as
the children of the Kami are closer to heaven, so is the Noble
Quarter, raised up on Noble Hill. Just as there are important
barriers to keep the social ranks pure, so is there a thick and
beautiful wall around the Noble Quarter. As the nobles look after
the heimin, as a parent looks after a child, so does the Noble
Quarter watch over Ryoko Owari.
