In
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, an is an establishment where patrons are entertained by
geisha
{{Culture of Japan, Traditions, Geisha
{{nihongo, Geisha, 芸者 ({{IPAc-en, ˈ, ɡ, eɪ, ʃ, ə; {{IPA-ja, ɡeːɕa, lang), also known as {{nihongo, , 芸子, geiko (in Kyoto and Kanazawa) or {{nihongo, , 芸妓, geigi, are a class of female ...
. A now-archaic term that arose in the
Edo period
The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...
, in the modern day refers exclusively to the establishments within
Kyoto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...
in which geisha work and entertain their clients,
though the term is sometimes used to describe all establishments used by geisha to entertain guests, irrespective of location.
Equivalent establishments in locations outside of Kyoto are known as , meaning "restaurant", referring to a traditional Japanese-style restaurant where geisha may entertain.
Terminology
Though the term literally means "tea house", the term follows the naming conventions of buildings or rooms used for
Japanese tea ceremony
The Japanese tea ceremony (known as or ) is a Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of , powdered green tea, the procedure of which is called . While in the West it is known as "tea ceremony", it is se ...
, known as ; as such, though tea is served at as an ordinary beverage, it is not, unlike teahouses and tearooms found throughout the world, its sole purpose.
When used as part of a name, the
honorific prefix is not used in Japanese, and the plain is used as a suffix, as in "Ichiriki Chaya". In English, this is not always observed, and terminology such as "Ichiriki Ochaya" is sometimes used. are often referred to instead simply by their name, as in "(the) Ichiriki".
Access
are typically very exclusive establishments; with very rare exceptions, a person may only enter if they are already an established patron, or are accompanied by a patron, with reservations.
Relationships to can often be traced back generations, and are generally associated with a family or company. Switching is not generally possible, and even patronizing other than the one with which one is associated is considered a very serious breach of manners.
In exceptional circumstances, these restrictions are relaxed. For example, for a brief period of only a few nights in 2006, one in each of the five Kyoto geisha districts offered general access to a small number of tourists who were unaccompanied by patrons, as part of a tourism promotion program, at the request of the Kyoto City Tourist Association.
["Exclusive Kyoto Teahouses Open Doors to Tourists." Yomiuri Shimbun okyo30 Jan. 2006: .]
Identification
cater to a discreet clientele, and thus do not present a particularly conspicuous front, but nor are they particularly secretive as to their location. are generally located on or near the main streets of their geisha district, and will generally have the name at the entrance, with an and front garden in larger houses, which can be glimpsed from the street. In Kyoto, are licensed by the city, and all display a metal badge at the entrance reading (Kyoto public license #..., ).
Design
As traditional establishments, occupy buildings exemplifying traditional
Japanese architecture
has been typified by wooden structures, elevated slightly off the ground, with tiled or thatched roofs. Sliding doors (''fusuma'') and other traditional partitions were used in place of walls, allowing the internal configuration of a space to ...
, most often style construction, particularly in Kyoto. Interiors will typically be
tatami
A is a type of mat used as a flooring material in traditional Japanese-style rooms. Tatamis are made in standard sizes, twice as long as wide, about 0.9 m by 1.8 m depending on the region. In martial arts, tatami are the floor used for traini ...
rooms, while exteriors may feature sheer walls (for privacy) or .
Services
The main function of an is to provide a private space for entertainment by geisha (including
apprentice geisha). Geisha are not affiliated with a particular teahouse, but are instead hired from the geisha house () they are affiliated with by the proprietress of the to provide entertainment, consisting of conversation, flirtation, pouring drinks, traditional games, singing, musical instruments, and dancing.
typically do not prepare food, but customers can order catering
a la carte
A, or a, is the first Letter (alphabet), letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name ...
, which is delivered to the house; geisha districts typically have a variety of restaurants serving this trade.
[祇園一力亭](_blank)
(Gion Ichiriki-tei) (in Japanese)
Examples
The most notable and famous is the
Ichiriki Chaya
The , formerly , is an historic ("tea house") in Kyoto, Japan. It is located at the southeast corner of Shijō Street and Hanami Lane, its entrance right at the heart of the Gion Kobu district.
It is considered an exclusive and high-end estab ...
in the
Gion
is a district of Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Japan, originating as an entertainment district in the Sengoku period, in front of Yasaka Shrine (Gion Shrine). The district was built to accommodate the needs of travellers and visitors to the shrine. ...
district of Kyoto, considered one of the most exclusive in Japan. The Ichiriki features as a major setting in
Arthur Golden
Arthur Sulzberger Golden (born December 6, 1956) is an American writer. He is the author of the bestselling novel ''Memoirs of a Geisha'' (1997).
Early life
Golden was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the son of Ruth (née Sulzberger) and Ben ...
's fictional portrayal of a Gion geisha's life, ''
Memoirs of a Geisha
''Memoirs of a Geisha'' is a historical fiction novel by American author Arthur Golden, published in 1997. The novel, told in first person perspective, tells the story of Nitta Sayuri and the many trials she faces on the path to becoming and wo ...
.''
See also
*
*
References
{{reflist
External links
祇園一力亭(Gion Ichiriki-tei – article shows pictures of interior, a private dance show, and the house's matchbox) (in Japanese)
Geisha
Japanese words and phrases