Hanamachi
Encyclopedia
A hanamachi is a Japan
ese courtesan
and geisha
district. The word's literal meaning is "flower street". Such districts would contain various okiya
(geisha houses). Nowadays, the term hanamachi is commonly used in modern Japan to refer to the areas where modern-day okiya are still operating. In Kyoto's Gion
district, however, the older term kagai is still in use. Alternatively, kagai can be used to refer to licensed red-light district
s, which contained restaurants, okiya, and ochaya (tea houses where geisha would entertain customers).
Hanamachi typically contained a number of okiya and ochaya, along with a kaburenjo; the kabunrenjo was a meeting place for geisha, usually with a theatre, rooms where geisha classes can be held, and the kenban offices, which dealt with geisha's pay, regulation and similar matters. Gion also has a vocational school, called Nyokoba. Many of the teachers there are designated as Living National Treasures
. Today, hanamachi are rare outside of Kyoto.
Yoshiwara
was the Tokyo courtesans' district and is sometimes referred to as a hanamachi.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese courtesan
Courtesan
A courtesan was originally a female courtier, which means a person who attends the court of a monarch or other powerful person.In feudal society, the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...
and geisha
Geisha
, Geiko or Geigi are traditional, female Japanese entertainers whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music and dance.-Terms:...
district. The word's literal meaning is "flower street". Such districts would contain various okiya
Okiya
An is the lodging house in which a maiko or geisha lives during the length of her nenki, or contract or career as a geisha.A young woman's first step toward becoming a geisha is to be accepted into an okiya , a geisha house owned by the woman who will pay for her training. The proprietress of the...
(geisha houses). Nowadays, the term hanamachi is commonly used in modern Japan to refer to the areas where modern-day okiya are still operating. In Kyoto's Gion
Gion
is a district of Kyoto, Japan, originally developed in the Middle Ages, in front of Yasaka Shrine. The district was built to accommodate the needs of travelers and visitors to the shrine...
district, however, the older term kagai is still in use. Alternatively, kagai can be used to refer to licensed red-light district
Red-light district
A red-light district is a part of an urban area where there is a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, adult theaters, etc...
s, which contained restaurants, okiya, and ochaya (tea houses where geisha would entertain customers).
Hanamachi typically contained a number of okiya and ochaya, along with a kaburenjo; the kabunrenjo was a meeting place for geisha, usually with a theatre, rooms where geisha classes can be held, and the kenban offices, which dealt with geisha's pay, regulation and similar matters. Gion also has a vocational school, called Nyokoba. Many of the teachers there are designated as Living National Treasures
Living National Treasure (Japan)
is a Japanese popular term for those individuals certified as by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology as based on Japan's...
. Today, hanamachi are rare outside of Kyoto.
Kyoto hanamachi
- GionGionis a district of Kyoto, Japan, originally developed in the Middle Ages, in front of Yasaka Shrine. The district was built to accommodate the needs of travelers and visitors to the shrine...
(Gion Kobu and Gion Higashi) - MiyagawachōMiyagawachoMiyagawachō is one of the hanamachi or geisha districts in Kyoto. Miya-gawa means “Shrine River”, referring to the nickname of the Kamo River just south of Shijō...
- KamishichikenKamishichikenis a district of Kyoto, Japan. It is the oldest hanamachi in northwest Kyoto, just east of the Kitano Tenman-gū Shrine. The name Kamishichiken literally means "Seven Upper Houses." These refer to the seven teahouses built from the equipment and material leftover from the rebuilding of the Kitano...
- PontochōPontochoPontochō is a Hanamachi district in Kyoto, Japan, known for geisha and home to many geisha houses and traditional tea houses. Like Gion, Pontochō is famous for the preservation of forms of traditional architecture and entertainment.-Etymology:...
- ShimabaraShimabara, KyotoShimabara was a courtesans' district in Kyoto. It was established in 1640 for a brothel owned by Hara Saburoemon, and was closed in 1958, when prostitution was outlawed in Japan. The name Shimabara most likely refers to the large gate that resembled the gate of Shimabara castle in Bizen...
Tokyo hanamachi
- ShinbashiShinbashiis a district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan, located south of Ginza, west of Tsukiji, east of Toranomon and north of Hamamatsucho.-History:Shinbashi was the Tokyo terminus of the first railway in Japan in 1872...
- AkasakaAkasaka, Tokyois a residential and commercial district of Minato, Tokyo, located west of the government center in Nagatachō and north of the Roppongi nightlife district....
- AsakusaAsakusais a district in Taitō, Tokyo, Japan, most famous for the Sensō-ji, a Buddhist temple dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon. There are several other temples in Asakusa, as well as various festivals.- History :...
- Yoshichō
- KagurazakaKagurazakais a neighbourhood in Tokyo, near Iidabashi Station. It has a sloping street at its center, lined by numerous cafés and restaurants. It is served by Tokyo Metro Tozai Line and Toei Oedo Line.-History:...
- Mukojima
Areas historically renowned as hanamachi/kagai
- Torimori
- Shintomichō
- FukagawaFukagawa (Tokyo)is a region in Kōtō ward of Tokyo metropolis, Japan. It is one of the representative shitamachi of Tokyo. Formerly, it was a ward of the historical Tokyo City. Its postal code is 135-0033....
- Maruyamachō
- Yanagibashi
- Nakano Shinbashi
Yoshiwara
Yoshiwara
Yoshiwara was a famous Akasen district in Edo, present-day Tōkyō, Japan.In the early 17th century, there was widespread male and female prostitution throughout the cities of Kyoto, Edo, and Osaka. To counter this, an order of Tokugawa Hidetada of the Tokugawa shogunate restricted prostitution to...
was the Tokyo courtesans' district and is sometimes referred to as a hanamachi.