“Another world on the other side of the tunnel.”
If you haven’t experienced this up until now, you are about to . From here on out we enter into the red-light district of Miyakawa where the geisha and maiko roam about going from here to there. The cobblestone streets, the tea houses, and the bamboo fences all lay out a new scene for you to take in as you wander around.

You may see the bamboo fences around the buildings but do you know what these are for? Originally it is said that these fences would keep dogs from peeing in the yards, but also they kept other people from trying to enter. While this was partially to protect the privacy of the facility, it was also a sign of authority. The more distance put between the space and the rest of the world, the higher the rank. So maybe a larger part of this is also forming an image for the outside world looking in.

The red-light district, like the rest of the areas around here, was not permitted to be located inside the capital. And thus a community was drawn to the safety net of the back alleys. These establishments had the right to refuse first time guests and refused to serve customers who were visiting other establishments as well. It was a silent rule amongst the community to prevent any competition between the establishments.

If you happen to be in the area around noon, you can see the maiko and geisha walking around in standard kimonos to go and pay their respects to several shops. This is a culture that has existed of going to pay respects to the shops you will go and visit at night, and isn’t something that is commonly seen in other red-light districts today. Around 6pm, the geisha will venture out again in full dress and make-up for the tea houses.