Ichiriki Ochaya



The Ichiriki Ochaya (translated Ichiriki Teahouse) 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.

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 Geisha, 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 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.

The Fall of the Shogun
As modernization spread through Japan during the final years of the Edo Period, 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.

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 architecture. 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’s 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.