erotic tea house; brothel disguised as a tea house
Historical term for an Edo-period establishment that outwardly resembled a teahouse but employed prostitutes. Compare with 水茶屋, a legitimate teahouse.
See also: 水茶屋
In the Edo period, there were tea houses called irojaya that were essentially brothels.
Compound of 色 (iro, 'erotic, sexual') and 茶屋 (chaya, 'tea house'). The reading ぢゃや is a historical rendaku form of 茶屋.