Gojo Rakuen (五条楽園)

Gojo Rakuen is an old yukaku (a red-light district) site located in the south-east area of Kawaramachi-dori and Gojo-dori Streets in Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto City. Gojo Rakuen (五条楽園) is also written as 五條楽園.

Summary

Gojo Rakuen had establishments called ochaya (literally "teahouse" which refers to places where geisha entertain their guests) that have a structure similar to a Japanese inn. Unlike machiai-jaya (tea houses, establishments that rented rooms in which visitors and geisha could amuse themselves) in Hanamachi (geisha districts in Kyoto), they offered adult entertainment.

Gojo Rakuen originated as two separate yukaku called Gojo-hashishita and Nanajo-shinchi located next to each other, but the two merged during the Taisho period and became Gojo Rakuen.

[Original Japanese]