The Phoenix ambassador is Isawa Mikio. She tells Ginji that the animals and gardens surrounding the embassy make it a safe place to practice Void magic.
Komachi's Travel Guide
The Phoenix Embassy is hosted by a resident master shugenja, commonly one of the Five Masters or someone elected by them.
The compound is surrounded on all sides by a moat-like water garden, small but cloistered groves which almost completely block out the sun, and an outer ring of animal domains. These cages, burrows, and recessed kennels contain a wide array of animals, all pets of the Phoenix and admired by visitors.