Hamadaya is the name of Okiya,a house where Geisha lived,in the Meiji period(1868-1912). One famous geisha from Hamadaya was Kawakami Sadayakko(1871-1946) who later became Japan's first international superstar.
Madame Sadayakko toured Europe and the U.S. with her husband Kawakami Otojiro and gave performances. Her presentations were very well -received and she gained great popularity. A high-class Japanese restaurant called Hamadaya was founded in 1912 after the first owner of restaurant inherited the name of long and distinguished history of Sadayakko.

The geographic name of Genyadana originates from Genya Okamoto (1587-1645), a doctor who lived here in the Edo period (1600-1867).
Genya was a doctor of the Tokugawa Shogunate. When Tokugawa Iemitsu, the third shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty, fell ill of small pox, Genya treated the Shogun Iemitsu and completely cured Shogune of the disease. Genya leaped to fame as a good doctor. His descendants lived in this area for nine generations and continued the profession using this grand family name.