Ichiriki Ochaya
Encyclopedia
The Ichiriki Ochaya is one of the most famous and historic Ochaya in Kyoto
, Japan
(note that Ochaya are distinct from Chashitsu
). It is located on Shijo-dori Street near the heart of the district of Gion
, and is considered an exclusive and high-end establishment, access is invitation only and entertainment can cost upwards of 800,000 yen a night.
, who distracted guests through dancing, banter, and flirtation. The Ichiriki has traditionally entertained those of political and business power.
Near the start of the eighteenth century, a group of samurai
find themselves left masterless, ronin
, after their daimyo
is forced to commit the ritual suicide of seppuku
for the crime of drawing a sword and injuring a man in the Imperial Palace.
Kira Yoshinaka
, who incited the attack with a series of verbal abuses, was left unpunished. The ronin samurai, moved to obey the bushido
samurai code of honor, plot to assassinate Yoshinaka for over two years.
The ronin, led by Oishi Kuranosuke, realize they will be monitored in case they enact an attempt at revenge. Thus, in an effort to dissuade the suspecting parties and Imperial spies, they send Kuranosuke to Kyoto. Kuranosuke spends many nights in the Ichiriki Ochaya, earning a reputation as a gambler and a drunkard.
As he gives the appearance of becoming more and more relaxed and unprepared, Kira becomes less active in his suspicions and relaxes his security.
Because the Ichiriki provided the cover to mount an attack, the ronin eventually killed Yoshinaka and were forced to commit seppuku themselves.
, unrest spread with it; the age of the shogun was coming to an end.
A series of killings of foreigners had led to tension with the western powers, and this international pressure led many to question the legitimacy of the shogun’s rule
Much of the plotting to overthrow the Shogun took place in secretive talks within the Ichiriki Ochaya, disguised as innocent evenings with friends.
The plans came to fruition in 1868 when the last shogun agreed to dissolve the shogunate at Nijo Castle
.
For a brief period of only a few nights in 2006, the Ichiriki Ochaya offered general access to a small number of tourists who were unaccompanied by patrons.
. The structure of the building is mostly wood, and is designed to protect the privacy of its patrons. In fact, the interior gardens are not even visible from outside the complex. Besides sight, the building protects the conversation within with angled screens to prevent eavesdropping at walls.
fictional portrayal of a Gion Geisha’s life Memoirs of a Geisha
.
The Ichiriki Ochaya is a major setting in the kabuki play Kanadehon Chushingura
, depicting the events of the 47 Ronin.
The play Ichiriki Teahouse centers around the plots against the shogun in the Ichiriki.
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
(note that Ochaya are distinct from Chashitsu
Chashitsu
In Japanese tradition, architectural spaces designed to be used for tea ceremony gatherings are known as chashitsu ....
). It is located on Shijo-dori Street near the heart of the district of Gion
Gion
is a district of Kyoto, Japan, originally developed in the Middle Ages, in front of Yasaka Shrine. The district was built to accommodate the needs of travelers and visitors to the shrine...
, and is considered an exclusive and high-end establishment, access is invitation only and entertainment can cost upwards of 800,000 yen a night.
History
The Ichiriki Ochaya is over 300 years old, and has been a major centerpiece of Gion since the beginning of the entertainment district. Like other Ochaya in Gion, the Ichiriki was a place where men of status and power went to be entertained by GeishaGeisha
, Geiko or Geigi are traditional, female Japanese entertainers whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music and dance.-Terms:...
, who distracted guests through dancing, banter, and flirtation. The Ichiriki has traditionally entertained those of political and business power.
The Forty-Seven Ronin
The Ichiriki plays a part in the events of the Akō vendetta, an historical event described by some scholars as a Japanese “national legend”.Near the start of the eighteenth century, a group of samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
find themselves left masterless, ronin
Ronin
A or rounin was a Bushi with no lord or master during the feudal period of Japan. A samurai became masterless from the death or fall of his master, or after the loss of his master's favor or privilege....
, after their daimyo
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
is forced to commit the ritual suicide of seppuku
Seppuku
is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. Seppuku was originally reserved only for samurai. Part of the samurai bushido honor code, seppuku was either used voluntarily by samurai to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies , or as a form of capital punishment...
for the crime of drawing a sword and injuring a man in the Imperial Palace.
Kira Yoshinaka
Kira Yoshinaka
was a kōke . His court title was Kōzuke no suke. He is famous as the adversary of Asano Naganori in the events of the Forty-seven Ronin...
, who incited the attack with a series of verbal abuses, was left unpunished. The ronin samurai, moved to obey the bushido
Bushido
, meaning "Way of the Warrior-Knight", is a Japanese word which is used to describe a uniquely Japanese code of conduct and a way of the samurai life, loosely analogous to the concept of chivalry. It originates from the samurai moral code and stresses frugality, loyalty, martial arts mastery, and...
samurai code of honor, plot to assassinate Yoshinaka for over two years.
The ronin, led by Oishi Kuranosuke, realize they will be monitored in case they enact an attempt at revenge. Thus, in an effort to dissuade the suspecting parties and Imperial spies, they send Kuranosuke to Kyoto. Kuranosuke spends many nights in the Ichiriki Ochaya, earning a reputation as a gambler and a drunkard.
As he gives the appearance of becoming more and more relaxed and unprepared, Kira becomes less active in his suspicions and relaxes his security.
Because the Ichiriki provided the cover to mount an attack, the ronin eventually killed Yoshinaka and were forced to commit seppuku themselves.
The Fall of the Shogun
As modernization spread through Japan during the final years of the Edo PeriodEdo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
, unrest spread with it; the age of the shogun was coming to an end.
A series of killings of foreigners had led to tension with the western powers, and this international pressure led many to question the legitimacy of the shogun’s rule
Much of the plotting to overthrow the Shogun took place in secretive talks within the Ichiriki Ochaya, disguised as innocent evenings with friends.
The plans came to fruition in 1868 when the last shogun agreed to dissolve the shogunate at Nijo Castle
Nijo Castle
is a flatland castle located in Kyoto, Japan. The castle consists of two concentric rings of fortifications, the Ninomaru Palace, the ruins of the Honmaru Palace, various support buildings and several gardens...
.
Access
Access to the Ichiriki is the height of exclusivity; fierce ties to the Ochaya must first be established before one can become a patron. Relationships to the Ochaya can often be traced back generations, and only these wealthy honored patrons and their guests are allowed past the bouncers.For a brief period of only a few nights in 2006, the Ichiriki Ochaya offered general access to a small number of tourists who were unaccompanied by patrons.
Architecture
The Ichiriki Ochaya is structured in the style of its original traditional Japanese architectureJapanese architecture
' originated in prehistoric times with simple pit-houses and stores that were adapted to a hunter-gatherer population. Influence from Han Dynasty China via Korea saw the introduction of more complex grain stores and ceremonial burial chambers....
. The structure of the building is mostly wood, and is designed to protect the privacy of its patrons. In fact, the interior gardens are not even visible from outside the complex. Besides sight, the building protects the conversation within with angled screens to prevent eavesdropping at walls.
Cultural References to the Ichiriki
The Ichiriki is a major setting in Arthur Golden’sArthur Golden
Arthur Golden is an American writer. He is the author of the bestselling novel Memoirs of a Geisha .Golden is a member of the Ochs-Sulzberger family . He was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, grew up on Lookout Mountain, Georgia, and attended Lookout Mountain Elementary School in Lookout Mountain,...
fictional portrayal of a Gion Geisha’s life Memoirs of a Geisha
Memoirs of a Geisha
Memoirs of a Geisha is a novel by American author Arthur Golden, published in 1997. The novel, told in first person perspective, tells the fictional story of a geisha working in Kyoto, Japan, before and after World War II...
.
The Ichiriki Ochaya is a major setting in the kabuki play Kanadehon Chushingura
Kanadehon Chūshingura
Chūshingura is an 11-act bunraku puppet play composed in 1748. It is one of the most popular Japanese plays, ranked with Zeami's Matsukaze, although the vivid action of Chūshingura differs dramatically from Matsukaze...
, depicting the events of the 47 Ronin.
The play Ichiriki Teahouse centers around the plots against the shogun in the Ichiriki.