A topic from AEG's L5R CCG Rules forum, copied for Oracle of the Void from a copy of the forum saved in October 2015, so pages it didn't save are missing. Players' names are left out; the rules officials are named. Rulings are as they stood on these dates; later rulings, the rulebooks and the Rules Archive may differ.
A player, 3 November 2007
This is a verification from the Newbie FAQ string:
Water Open: If it is not your turn, bow this Shugenja: Another target player may choose to bow 2 of his Personalities. If he does not bow 2 Personalities, gain 3 Honor.
Can touch of Ice be used without bowing either the shugenja or spell on the controller's turn? I'm pretty sure that since it's between the two colons, it's a cost, but it doesn't list a cost for when it is your turn.
The current listing on the string is that the spell cannot be used on your own turn, is this the case, or do you have to neither bow the spell nor the shugenja on your own turn in order to use it.
Thanks!
Martin Lund (rules official), 9 November 2007
Conditional costs can be told apart from restrictions on playing an action or card, because the condition (“if” statement) comes after the cost is described. Example: “If he is attacking, bow this Samurai:” can only be taken while attacking. “Bow this Samurai if he is attacking:” means that you do not have to bow him as a cost unless you are attacking.
As noted in the Comprehensive Rules for Costs and Restrictions.