also: かく
General term for a demarcated area or quarter within a larger settlement, often historical.
enclosure; earthwork enclosure
Specifically refers to an area enclosed by earthen walls or moats, common in Japanese castle architecture.
The honmaru is the central enclosure of the castle.
Historical term for a licensed pleasure quarter, such as Yoshiwara in Edo.
wide and empty
Only when written 廓 · Only with reading かく
Rare prefix or suffix meaning 'wide and empty', used only with the kanji 廓 and reading かく. Found in a few compounds like 廓然.
There was a samurai quarter in the castle town.
In the Edo period, Yoshiwara was a famous red-light district.
廓然 is read かくぜん and describes a wide, empty state.
城 is a castle as a whole, while 廓 refers to a specific enclosed area within or around a castle.
遊郭 is the more common modern term for a red-light district, while 廓 alone is more historical or literary.
Standard kanji for the reading くるわ, used for castle enclosures and red-light districts.
Rare reading かく for the prefix/suffix sense, restricted to the kanji 廓 or 郭.
Variant kanji for くるわ, often used in historical contexts.
Rare reading かく for the prefix/suffix sense, restricted to the kanji 廓 or 郭.
Ateji spelling for くるわ, mainly seen in historical documents.
The reading くるわ is likely derived from くる (to wind, turn) + わ (circle, ring), referring to an enclosed area. The kanji 廓 and 郭 both carry meanings of 'outer wall' or 'enclosure'. The rare reading かく is the on'yomi of these kanji.