The
Japanese word that translates as
not-person. In
Rokugan, a hinin is someone who practices a questionable trade that benefits nobody but themself-
charlatans,
criminals (including
pickpockets and
bandits), entertainers (the most notable of whom are the
geisha, and some
actors/
musicians), professional
gamblers, and the
eta, the corpse-handlers. When they could be caught, the
ninja were treated as hinin- but the
ninja do not exist, right? At least in
Rokugan, they don't.
While a
samurai may need a good reason to slay a
heimin farmer, killing a hinin is not a crime because they are not protected by the
celestial order- however, there can be repercussions for slaying a powerful
daimyo's favorite
geisha that could well be fatal.