廓
くるわ
noun
pleasure quarter; red-light district (historical); enclosure; compound; bailey (of a castle)
1.
pleasure quarter; red-light district (historical)
江戸時代の廓は独特の文化を持っていた。
The pleasure quarters of the Edo period had a unique culture.
吉原は江戸で最も有名な廓だった。
Yoshiwara was the most famous pleasure quarter in Edo.
廓の中では独自の言葉遣いや風習があり、多くの文学作品の舞台になった。
The pleasure quarters had their own distinctive speech and customs, and became the setting for many literary works.
2.
enclosure; compound; bailey (of a castle)
城の廓を見学する。
Tour the castle's compound.
本丸の廓は石垣で囲まれている。
The main keep's compound is surrounded by stone walls.
この城跡には三つの廓が残っており、当時の規模がうかがえる。
Three baileys remain at this castle ruin, giving a sense of its former scale.
Also written as 郭. Has two distinct historical meanings that share the concept of an enclosed, walled-off area.
PLEASURE QUARTER USAGE:
Refers to the walled entertainment districts of the Edo period (1603-1868) where licensed prostitution operated. The most famous was 吉原 in Edo (modern Tokyo). These districts developed rich cultural traditions including distinctive speech patterns (廓言葉), fashion, music, and art that influenced Japanese literature and kabuki theater.
CASTLE USAGE:
In castle architecture, 廓 (or 曲輪) refers to the enclosed areas within a castle's defensive walls. Castles typically had multiple 廓: the 本丸 (main compound), 二の丸 (second compound), and 三の丸 (third compound).
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 遊郭: pleasure quarter — a more common reading/writing, specifically for the entertainment district sense
- 花街: geisha quarter — a district of teahouses and geisha entertainment, distinct from 廓
- 曲輪: bailey, compound — the castle-specific spelling