Alt-Onin - Off to Uwajima!

The Spears of Kamigoryo (y'all) have been granted the charters to three estates in the area south of Uwajima, a region that doesn't appear to have a common name but that we will just call the "Cape Nodo Region". It is a rugged, sparsely populated area dotted with small fishing villages, with one town called Tsushima (not the famous one) on the peninsula's south side. The whole area is about five miles south of the castle town of Uwajima. The waters offshore are dotted with little islands, and are called the "Uwa Sea". 

The Saionji Clan holds court in Uwajima, and are the official stewards of the region. You have no reason to expect their hostility, though they are likely to be initially very suspicious of you. They are enemies of the Kono, the clan that doublecrossed you back in Matsuyama when you first arrived on Shikoku. They are also enemies of the Ichijo, a neighboring powerful clan to the east. Both the Kono and the Ichijo want the land of the Saionji, so politics around here get spicy. Don't forget that Mongol-ruled Kyushu is only about forty miles across the Bungo Straits from this area.

Spicy!  

As mentioned, three villages are on the coast, located about a mile and a half from each other. The local terrain is rugged and wooded, but there are trails. The only road is between Tsushima and Uwajima. When you travel on Saionji land between the estates, it is unlikely you will encounter samurai guards; even if you do, once you are known to the local lords, there should be no issues with them. 

1) North Estate on the coast at Warabi, a medium-sized fishing village built around the harbor and up into the hills around Warabi inlet, has a Sumiyoshi shrine and nothing else. It is relatively easy to reach Uwajima from here, so the village does good business selling fish to the castle town. 

2) East Estate on the coast at Shitaba, a small fishing village of ill repute, with a good harbor and a bad reputation. The locals are suspected of being pirates who pay off the Saionji to be left alone.

3) South Estate on Iwamatsu River, a medium village near Tsushima known as a pilgrimage site. The locals probably have made arrangements with the Saionji lord in neighboring Tsushima. There used to be a small monastery in your estate, but few records exist of present conditions. 

Getting There: Two ways... Uwajima is only thirty-ish miles down the road from Ozu where you are currently lodging. That's one night on the road, arriving the next day. The Saionji are jumpy, and the one road is packed with groups of pilgrims or bandits. Or you can try to actually charter a ship and crew to take you directly to one of the villages... Warabi is the most likely. This would cost about $100 per samurai, servant, and horse. If you leave in the morning, you'd be there in the late afternoon/early evening if the weather holds. If you want to own your own ship, you should find some pirates or Mongols and jack theirs. The most likely sort is a small warship called a Kobaya, and they are crazy expensive... unless you steal one or take it in battle. Then it's free!