Japanese skirmish rules with a focus on bandits, ninja, ronin, monks etc.?

[Patrice]

Argad (Sengoku extension) mentions the different character types. Basic characteristics are not much developped, for simplicity, but more details have been suggested (not always online) and played.

Recent AARs online show rather large samurai skirmishes but that's a personal choice of a very active game master who added his own optional morale rules; more typical games (of any period) with the generic Argad rules can be 10-20 characters per player.

[anevilgiraffe]

I have (somewhere) a very cinematic set which used different faced dice for different skill levels, so you're hero would be D20 vs a load of D6's... it's been an age since I looked at it and don't even remember it's name... not very helpful I'm afraid.

[boywundyrx]

"Boshi no Yume" is the Japanese-specific variation of Song of Blades and Heroes by Ganesha Games, written by Rich Jones.  He's made the rules freely available here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/a6ovs90zflb70nbgqxikp/Bushi-no-Yume-web.pdf?rlkey=itw9ipmo9no4gcsfr7l0ctw1m&e=1&dl=0

Neil Shuck reviewed them here: https://meeples.wordpress.com/2017/03/22/review-bushi-no-yume/

If you like SoBH then this will probably work for you, my only challenge with it is all the traits use Japanese names, which is great for flavour, not great for understanding what they refer to in the middle of a game. In practice I'd swap in the SoBH names.

Chris

[Kikuchiyo]

Bushi No Yume might be worth a look at as  its Blades and Heros set in Fudal Japan

[OSHIROmodels]

Lastly, are there any go-to sources of Japanese terrain?

Plenty of options here 

https://www.oshiromodels.co.uk/japanese

[traveller]

https://sarissa-precision.com/collections/japan-28mm

[Moonglum_]

https://sarissa-precision.com/collections/japan-28mm

Plenty of options here 

https://www.oshiromodels.co.uk/japanese

Beautiful, looks like I have all I need to get started then.

[Cholmondely Percival IV]

I mix them all, plus Wargames Atlantic, Bad Squiddo and Bac Ninh, and they all work just fine.  I even use old Ral Partha 25mm figures, they're just shorter people in the crowd

The Wargames Atlantic Samurai and Ashigaru are even shorter than their Ral Partha counterparts, at a mere 10 mm. You may have been thinking of the Fireforge Games range, the only plastic 28 mm Samurai figures that I’m aware of.

[Mr. White]

Another vote for Ronin here. Fantastic skirmish game. I can also vouch for Oshiro products.
In November, I’ll be adding more Oshiro buildings to my Ronin village.

[n815e]

A generic heroic game like Pulp Alley could also work.

[Khusru2]

I went with Dixon Miniatures for Ronin. There are so many figures options.

[Moonglum_]

I went with Dixon Miniatures for Ronin. There are so many figures options.

Another great source, thank you.

[pwx]

DAISHO
https://theministryofgentlemanlywarfare.wordpress.com/daisho/
A great set of rules for skirmish. 
As wrote on the book cover: Daishō, skirmish wargaming in mythical Nippon.

It's all about characters, you can build your own or use some of the various factions, historical, mythical, full fantasy... it's all there.
D10 dice. A lot of scenarios, linkable for campaigns, and random generated if you like to add some complications.

[glenning]

We are currently playing using tweaked Ravenfeast rules - works like a charm. You can find the base rules for free on their page http://www.ravenfeast.com/free-downloads.html and I can send you all our stats and house rules if you'd like. It's got Ninjas, bandits, samurai, monks and everything inbetween!

[Khusru2]

I use Dixon figures for Ronin with various other manufacturers for civilians.