The Bridge of the Dragon

KOMACH'S TRAVEL GUIDE:

The view from the Bridge of the Dragon, between the pillars that support the roof, is one of the finest sights in Ryoko Owari. To the north, onecan look out over the Bridge of Drunken Lovers and the Bay of Drowned Honor. To the south, one can survey Teardrop Island. And of course, the bridge itself is worth viewing. Carved in the shape of a two headed dragon, it is hard to walk onto the bridge, through the dragon'smouth, without a shiver of fear.

MOROSUKE'S HISTORY:

The Bridge of the Dragon was planned by the ninth Governor, who hoped it would encourage merchants to build on the west side ofthe river. At first this occurred, but the area soon became a den of themost depraved (and highly sought) vices. This pleasure section was destroyed during the Lion occupation, and the next Governor took advantage of the destruction to legislate many of those activities onto Teardrop Island, where they could be more readily isolated from the restof society. Ironically, it was not merchants who settled in the ruins of the former Floating World; it was the eta. Although initially upset by their proximity to the Noble Quarter, it soon became apparent that there were certain advantages. Using the Dragon Bridge allowed the Leatherworkers to clean the Noble Quarter much more quickly. Few nobles wanted to go to the Leatherworker Quarter, so they used the bridge only for sightseeing, and the Leatherworkers soon became accustomed to waiting discreetly until the nobles had left before completing their journey across the bridge. The bridge is closed to Leatherworkers during festivals, Cherry Blossom season, and Autumn Moon season, when the numbers of sight-seeing nobles are at their highest.