花か街がい

also: はなまち

か

が

い

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

noun

Refers to a district with geisha houses, teahouses, and sometimes brothels. Historically associated with licensed prostitution, but modern usage often focuses on geisha entertainment areas.

京きょう都との花か街がいには今いまでも多おおくの芸げい妓ぎがいる。
There are still many geisha in Kyoto's geisha quarters.
かつてこの辺あたりは花か街がいとして栄さかえていた。
This area once flourished as a red-light district.

Written forms

花街Usage97%
- かがい
  Standard kanji spelling for the reading かがい. The most common written form.
- はなまち
  Rare reading of 花街; かがい is the standard reading.
花はな町まちUsage3%
Alternate kanji spelling, often read はなまち. Less common than 花街.
はなまち

Kanji

花flower
街boulevard, street, town
町town, village, block

Similar words

遊ゆう郭かく
遊郭 specifically refers to a licensed prostitution district, while 花街 can include geisha entertainment areas without explicit prostitution.
歓かん楽らく街がい
歓楽街 is a broader term for any entertainment district (bars, clubs, etc.), not limited to geisha or prostitution.

Etymology

Compound of 花 (flower, beauty) and 街 (town, district), referring to the 'flower towns' where geisha and courtesans worked. The reading かがい is the on'yomi, while はなまち is the kun'yomi reading.