The elderly are a repository of knowlege, so when Joe mentioned Tojinmachi (唐人町) - literally, “Chinatown” and is next to Shinmachi - I waited for this 74-year old guy who usually drops by for dinner to fill me in.
According to him, the neighboring Gofukumachi (呉服町) - literally, “Kimono Town” - was the red light district at the turn of the century, and many Chinese arrived in the neighboring area to fabricate kimono - hence the name. The entire area is a wonderful place to wander about. - William
