What exactly is Bukyo?

[LineageRazor]

Bukyo is the capital of Hingashi. Kugane is just a port city, but because it's the only city open to foreigners, all the consulates and such are there. You're right that there is some class issues in Hingashi, specifically the peasantry have no means to effect change, and life is not easy for them. Even joining the Sekiseigumi, which is about the biggest thing a non-noble can do in their life, does not improve their lot dramatically. However, there's no indication this will blow up anytime soon. The SAM quests 60-70 involve you putting down a ronin traitor to the Sekiseigumi and his attempt to overthrow Hingashi. Beyond that people aren't thrilled but that's true everywhere.

For the duration of the 60+ SAM quests, I was constantly asking myself, "Why are we working so hard to stop this guy again?" Honestly, it seemed like he had the right idea. I mean, war bad, blah blah blah, but when a government is as corrupt as Kugane's seems to be, a revolt be the oppressed isn't exactly out of line...

Slaughtering an entire family for the crimes of a member, visiting pleasure houses on the taxpayers' dime, the list goes on and on...

[Iscah]

For the duration of the 60+ SAM quests, I was constantly asking myself, "Why are we working so hard to stop this guy again?" Honestly, it seemed like he had the right idea. I mean, war bad, blah blah blah, but when a government is as corrupt as Kugane's seems to be, a revolt be the oppressed isn't exactly out of line...

Slaughtering an entire family for the crimes of a member, visiting pleasure houses on the taxpayers' dime, the list goes on and on...

I haven't got to the 60+ samurai quests yet, but I just finished the first lot and didn't enjoy them at all. Musosai's approach of "pass judgement on the wicked and slay them without further trial" is.... well, it's terribly convenient that we only ever came across cackling villains who proudly admitted the accusations were true. And it still didn't feel like justice was being done, when it's down to one man's whim with no prior knowledge of the situation - even if Musosai's particular judgement is sound, the system is open to abuse.

I was hoping the next lot of quests might be better, but it sounds like I'm not going to enjoy them either. :[