a hanamachi (花街) is a japanese word used to call a neighborhood where courtesans and geisha lived and worked. the word's literal meaning is "flower town". these neighborhoods used to have many "okiya" ("geisha houses") and "ochaya" ("tea houses", where geishas entertained guests). the term "hanamachi" is used in modern japan to call the areas where modern-day geisha are still living and working. today, "hanamachi" are rare outside of kyoto.