The windows of the Minato City Center for Traditional Culture, once a geisha call office, are decorated in a chic manner

Window frame of the Minato City Center for Traditional Culture
Window frame of the Minato City Center for Traditional Culture
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Not far from Zakoba, the setting of the rakugo story Shibahama, stands an old wooden building. It is the Minato City Center for Traditional Culture. It was originally built in 1936 as a geisha call office for the geisha quarter. However, it was used as a dormitory for dock workers after World War II. Although few people nowadays associate Shibaura with a geisha quarter, it was once an entertainment district. When the current Shibaura area was reclaimed between the late Meiji and Taisho eras, the geisha quarter on the north side of the current JR line was moved to Shibaura.

However, the Shibaura geisha quarter did not last long. When World War II broke out, the geisha quarters themselves were evacuated and disappeared from Shibaura. In 1944, the building became the property of Tokyo and was used as accommodation for dock workers. Although it was used for only a short period of time, the fact that it has been preserved to this day is probably due to its excellent workmanship. The elaborate design of the lattice ceiling, finely crafted window frames, and handrails of the 100-mat hall where the geisha girls practiced, convey the glamorous atmosphere of the time of its construction. The design of the window frames in the corridor was also casually stylish.

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Jan 2023 ARCHITECTURE TOKYO

PHOTO DATA

No

12425

Shooting Date

Oct 2022

Posted On

January 9, 2023

Modified On

August 10, 2023

Place

Shibaura, Tokyo

Genre

Architectural Photography

Camera

SONY ALPHA 7R II

Lens

ZEISS BATIS 2/40 CF

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