Ochaya

In Japan, an ochaya (お茶屋, literally "tea house") is an establishment where patrons are entertained by geisha. Ochaya are located in geisha districts (花街, hanamachi), and are today most numerous in Kyoto, though they can be found in geisha districts in other cities, such as Tokyo.

Ochaya, where geisha entertain, should be distinguished from okiya (boarding house), where geisha live – these may both be loosely translated as "geisha house." Geisha are attached to a single boarding house (where they do not entertain), and entertain at various ochaya or other venues from night to night. This arrangement originally developed in the yūkaku, or pleasure quarters, where oiran below the rank of tayū or kōshi could be summoned to entertain guests at ochaya.

Terminology

Though the term "ochaya" literally means "tea house", they do not serve tea, except incidentally (as an ordinary beverage); buildings or rooms for Japanese tea ceremony are instead known as chashitsu (茶室, literally "tea room"). When used as part of a name, the honorific prefix o- is not used in Japanese, and the plain "chaya" 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. Ochaya are often referred to instead simply by their name, as in "(the) Ichiriki".