National Important Cultural Asset Ochaya SHIMA

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National Important Cultural Asset Ochaya SHIMA

The Ochaya (tea house), which has remained unchanged since the Edo period, offers a glimpse of what it was like in those days.

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The tea house, built in 1820, is located on the Higashi Chaya-Gai District and is open to the public in its original state.
It is a valuable facility for tourists to learn about tea house culture, as Kanazawa's tea house culture has a tradition of "No first-time visitors" and even today, visitors are not allowed to enter without an introducer.

The second floor is a guest room, a structure unique to tea houses, with no closet, storage space, or partition walls, and is elegantly constructed mainly for entertainment.
When guests sat with their backs to the tokonoma (alcove), the antechamber was in front of them, and as soon as the fusuma (sliding door) was opened, a gorgeous dance or entertainment was performed.
Visitors can tour each of the rooms on the first and second floors to observe the meticulous attention to detail that went into the hospitality of the rooms.

Higashi Chaya-Gai District and Nishi Chaya-Gai District began in 1820 when Maeda Narinaga, the 12th lord of the Kaga Domain, built tea houses scattered throughout the castle town to form a tea house district.
Ochaya / Tea houses were places where wealthy merchants and men of the town gathered at night during the Edo period to enjoy the entertainment of geiko dancing and shamisen playing, and it is said that the wide range of skills and education of these geiko became the foundation of "Kanazawa as a place of performing arts."

Highlights

  • Visitors can enjoy matcha green tea with traditional sweets in the museum's tea room while viewing the garden (extra charge).
  • For the protection of cultural assets, visitors are not allowed to bring baggage inside the museum (free coin lockers are available).
  • The tea house is also a valuable facility for tourists to learn about tea house culture.

Photos

  • The Maezashiki, where guests sat with their backs to the alcove and watched the entertainment.

    The Maezashiki, where guests sat with their backs to the alcove and watched the entertainment.

  • Standing on the Higashi Chaya-Gai District, a street that retains the atmosphere of the feudal era

    Standing on the Higashi Chaya-Gai District, a street that retains the atmosphere of the feudal era

  • The seating where you can taste matcha green tea

    The seating where you can taste matcha green tea

  • A hall with brown-dark red colored walls and Shunkei lacquered shelves in perfect harmony.

    A hall with brown-dark red colored walls and Shunkei lacquered shelves in perfect harmony.

  • Outbuilding with white wood construction and calm atmosphere.

    Outbuilding with white wood construction and calm atmosphere.

Reviews

1
  • otf99837221

    喝抹茶配上點心,一邊看著庭園景觀,享受愉快的午後時光。

Details

Name in Japanese
国指定重要文化財 志摩
Postal Code
920-0831
Address
1-13-21 Higashiyama, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa
Telephone
076-252-5675
Closed
Open every day
Hours
9:30am-5:30pm (December~February 9:30am-5:00pm)
Admission
Adults : 500 yen
Junior high school students and under : 300 yen
Directions
Take a city bus from JR Kanazawa Station, get off at "Hashiba-cho" and walk 5 minutes.
Credit Cards
Accepted
Official Website
Official Website (English)