Shinotei

Shinotei clan Yakuza are recent additions, having first entering the city only fifteen years before the present. They are a reclusive lot, dealing mostly in secrets and secret things, particularly black mail, smuggling and espionage. Little is known about them or their operations by the other two main Clans, though it is known that they have a very small operational footprint, which suits Toyamoto clan well.

Though obscure, they have their stereotypes. The typical Shinotei yakuza is depicted as a secretive, tricky man difficult to properly pin down in conversation. Unassuming, hyperobservative and distant, that is the Shinotei stereotype. Then, on the other hand, there's the ninja scare. Somehow, the idea got out that Shinotei clan yakuza either were (either partially or entirely) composed of or employed ninja. Depending on who you ask, these range from basic assassins with a dagger in the dark (or sniper rifles or suppressed weapons) or supermen which can glide up walls, turn invisible or kill men with secret powers.

Leadership

 * boss of the Kumo.
 * Advisor of War.
 * Finance Advisor.
 * Law Advisor.
 * Intelligence Advisor.
 * Affairs Advisor.
 * Chief of the Hatamoto.

Philosophy
At summits, numerous hints have hinted that the family subscribes to the principals of Bushido, and that they have an affinity for the civil and artistic side. This placates the Toyamoto, and eases relations between them; a few members were even known to be students at the art institute backed by the Toyamoto family. Learning is important to the Shinotei, and is their most emphasized tenet of bushido, with wisdom (the application of said knowledge) being a close second. Beyond this, not much else is known.

Public Affairs
They are not at all well known in the public eye. While Toyamoto and Kumo advertise who they are with particular styles of dress, public dealings and through select front businesses, the Shinotei keep to themselves, even more aloof than Toyamoto or Kumo clans.

It is known to some that the family owns a small interstellar shipping company, hauling both freight and people. The size and extent of the company is not known, but like most it cannot be more than three or four ships. The company is often engaged in shuttling people to and from the planet. Other operations are unknown, though it has been supposed that a taxi company and a massage parlor are part of their holdings.

Private Affairs
As mentioned before, the clan deals in information: Black mail, espionage. They're also smugglers of men and material, which is easier for them because they own ships. What lies beyond this is unknown, though they have been accused of piracy on one occasion.

Relationship with other Clans
The Shinotei prefer to stay on good relations with the other clans. They do not appear to have any designs on city-wide domination, and as such take care to avoid straying into someone else's markets or territories.

Art of War
From what can be concluded, the Shinotei prefer a dagger in the dark to a hundred swords at dawn. Their clan is small even if reasonably well equipped. In terms of firepower, they are more like the Toyamoto - outdated but still powerful carbines that can be purchased in large numbers. They lack the ground mobility and defense provided by Toyamoto's armored vans, and they're even smaller in size than Kumo. Their finances appear to be in order, but the expense of running ships and smuggling combined with little ground industry means their income is irregular, curtailing their ability to buy through war. As such, where necessary they prefer to assassinate rather than perform hits like the Kumo and Toyamoto. One shot, one kill, preferably on a high-value target. Shuncho Yosano, Intelligence Officer of and Advisor to the boss of the Toyamoto clan once was permitted to preview the armory of the Shinotei clan (traditional posturing). He commented that amongst the collection he spotted no less than four high powered, precision rifles and a number of lower powered, suppressed marksman's weapons. Though he identified them all as long outdated guns (ruling out military backing or extreme connections), he was no less impressed.

Swordsmanship
In more traditional combat, the clan has a noted preference for shorter swords, the wakizashi in particular. At a recent summit of clan leaders (not attended by the Watosabi), the Kumo clan leader asked why his retinue consisted mostly of (the traditionally Wakizashi armed) Little Brothers, where as the others had brought their closest Hatamoto. The Kumo leader was surprised to discover that their clan does not associate as closely with the traditional daisho of katana and wakizashi, instead favoring the tanto and wakizashi - and that the retinue was indeed their family Hatamoto! It was also noted that many of their number carried canes (a traditional item of Yakuza formal wear) that were of the type to typically house blades within - slender, foreign blades. In spite of the popular rumors, none of the so-called "Ninja-to" have ever been discovered amongst their collections. It is unknown what style of swordsmanship they practice, as the subject has never yielded an answer, and the clan does not permit it's members to fight in Kumo's armed rings.

Other Martial Arts
It has also been noted that they have a preference for the striking arts, particularly te (an older and more lethal version of karate). Other hand to hand or armed styles are unknown at this time, but it is speculated that they may be versed in a cane-oriented combat art.