Kuragarizaka

Kuragarizaka is a narrow, steep stone alleyway tucked between the Kazuemachi teahouse district and the main road. The name translates to dark slope, a title earned because the path was once lined with high wooden fences and dense foliage that blocked out the midday sun. In the late nineteenth century, businessmen and government officials used this hidden passage to reach the teahouses discreetly, avoiding the public gaze of the main thoroughfare. The shadows kept their movements private and their meetings quiet.