also: かたたがへどころ
noun
place to stay to avoid an unlucky direction
Archaic term from Heian-era directional taboo practices. Refers to a temporary lodging used when one's intended travel direction was deemed unlucky, requiring a detour or overnight stay to change the effective direction.
平安時代には、方違えのために方違え所に泊まることがあった。
In the Heian period, people would sometimes stay at a katatagae-dokoro to avoid an unlucky direction.
方違え is the practice of changing one's direction or lodging to avoid an unlucky direction; 方違え所 is the specific place used for that purpose.
方塞がり refers to the unlucky direction itself or the state of being blocked by a directional taboo, whereas 方違え所 is the physical place used to circumvent it.
Compound of 方違え (katatagae, 'direction changing') + 所 (tokoro/dokoro, 'place'). The term originates in Heian-period onmyōdō practices.