As for the north side... to put it simply, it's the "VIP section".
The northern seats are surrounded by white curtains, leaving only the side facing the field uncovered. Countless solemn-faced samurai are guarding this "VIP section" from all directions, preventing any unrelated persons from approaching.
This competition attracted many daimyo who were staying in Edo due to the "visit and handover" policy.
Visit and handover - a national policy that compulsorily requires most of the daimyo to live in Edo for at least half a year annually, causing nearly half of the nation's daimyo to reside in Edo at any time.
Some daimyo came purely to pass the time watching the matches.
Others came for socializing.
Yet some daimyo have more straightforward and pragmatic goals—they are here for the Marquis of Aizu, wishing to seize this rare opportunity to curry favor with this political figure who is currently deeply trusted by the Shogunate, Tokugawa Iemochi.
