Hanamachi

Hanamachi (Japanese花街, flower district ) are traditional geisha district in Japan.

Origin of the term

The term Hanamachi (花街) designated in its alternative reading Kagai originally red light district, where both geisha and prostitutes had their homes and workplaces.

Units

The smallest socio-economic unit in a Hanamachi is usually composed of two buildings:

• A okiya (置き屋or置 屋) is the home of the Geisha, the term is also used interchangeably with the fact living Geisha "family". Usually men are not allowed access to a okiya; Exceptions are calligraphy and music teacher, wig makers, hairdressers, tailors and Kimono dresser as well as employees of Kemban -sho ( union or registration office of Hanamachi ).
• An O- chaya (お茶屋, honorable teahouse ) is the building pursuing in the Geisha their work and can provide their customers entertained.

Another important means in each Hanamachi is the Kaburen - jo (歌舞 练 场, singing and dance rehearsal venue ), which acts as an artistic headquarters of the respective Hanamachi. Here are usually a theater and the offices of the Kemban -sho (検 番 署) to find. Each Hanamachi also has a school in which the artistic skills such as dance and music are learned. Formerly possessed each Hanamachi about his own school. Today there are only three in Kyoto and Tokyo only one school: the Nyokoba School in Gion Kobu - that Kamogawa School in Ponto -chō, the Higashiyama School in Miyagawa -chō and the Mukojima school in Asakusa, Tokyo.

Known hanamachi

The crisis into which the geisha profession has fallen into the modern age, meant that many had to close Hanamachi throughout Japan. The still existing distributed mostly to the three major cities Kyoto, Osaka and Tokyo, where the traditional culture of Japan has survived along with the geisha.

Kyoto

Kyoto has five Hanamachi which are still referred to as " Kagai ":

• Gion (祇 园or祇 を ん) is sometimes counted as a quarter, but consists of two Hanamachi: Gion Kobu - (祇 园 甲 部), in whose Kaburen -jo traditionally takes place the Miyako Odori.
• Gion Higashi (祇 园 东)

Tokyo

Tokyo has six Hanamachi, in which the number of geishas, however, has been greatly reduced:

• Shinbashi (新桥)
• Akasaka (赤 坂)
• Asakusa (浅 草)
• Yoshichō
• Kagurazaka (神 楽 坂)
• Mukojima

Osaka

• Kita Shinchi
• Minami Shinchi
• Shinmachi

Kanazawa

• Higashi Chaya
• Nishi Chaya

The number of Maiko and Geisha in the hanamachi Kyoto in 1965 was still about 500 In March 2005, it amounted to only 193

Single Documents

• Geisha
• Geography (Japan)
• Human Geography object