Ichiriki Ochaya, Kyoto

Ichiriki Ochaya (GPS: 35.00362, 135.77511) is the most famous ochaya, or tea house, in the Gion district of Japan. It is located on the southeast corner of Shijo and Hanamikoji, and is easily identifiable by its distinctive red walls.

The Ichiriki has been immortalized in the Kabuki play, Chushigura, where it is a setting of one of the scenes. Although the name indicates that it is a tea house, Ichiriki is not for the casual visitor. It is the ultra exclusive haven, off limits to all but the ultra rich and connected, a place where, if you have to ask the price, you cannot afford it.

At Ichiriki, the entertainment is provided by the geisha - a collective term which may involve the geiko - who wear a white-collared kimono, and the maiko, which is a geisha apprentice. They geishas belong to a okiya, or geisha house, headed by a matron, called o-kami, who teaches the girls various arts such as dancing, playing traditional instruments, or singing.

Ichiriki Ochaya, Kyoto

Ichiriki Ochaya is on the Map of Kyoto

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