Geisha of Kanazawa

[AnaIkimaru]

The geisha of Kanazawa have three major hanamachi or areas:

• Higashi Chayagai
  Nishi Chayagai
  Kazuemach

The Higashi districts is the largest of the three, and the top-ranking ochaya entertaining house features it's own reknown in-house chef, a salon, and valuable displays for patrons to enjoy. The name of this ochaya is the Kaikaro, and the website can be found here:

This tidbit is qouted from Wikipedia, which I have a love/hate relationship with:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanazawa,_Ishikawa

Geisha Areas

History
Kanazawa had a further expansion in 1661, when many samurai who had followed their retired lord Toshitsune to his villa at Komatsu returned after his death. They built houses on the fringes of the city, with street layouts almost totally unplanned. These areas are some of the most labyrinthine parts of the city, but this was not done for defensive purposes at all: by this time peace was quite firmly secured. To alleviate crowding from the continual (illegal) inflow of peasants and other migrants, residents were permitted to rent land from neighbouring farmers, and these areas are some of the most convoluted of all, as the roads were laid out on the old winding paths through the fields.

Thus Kanazawa attained the form that it kept for the rest of the Edo period, and even now the majority of roads in the old city are little changed in form from two centuries ago. The only major change was the creation of ‘geisha districts’ at the foot of Utatsuyama and over the Sai River in 1820, to control and regulate pleasure houses and prostitutes (bath-girls: 湯女). However, conservative factions regained control of the Kaga government, and the geisha districts were abolished a decade later. The districts were made legal again just before the Meiji Revolution, and stayed that way until prostitution was officially outlawed in 1954. The geisha areas were out of bounds to samurai, and so were patronized by rich merchants and artisans, who would compete with each other to spend the most obscene amounts of money on parties.

Architecture of the Geisha House
The geisha house, or ‘tea house’ as it is commonly called, is superficially similar to the merchant houses, in the same way the samurai houses are superficially similar to farmhouses. However unlike the merchant houses, where the second floor at the front was for storage only, and thus very low, the second story of tea houses are much higher, because the upper floor was used as the main entertaining area. The upper floors are faced with sliding wooden shutters which would be open in the day or when there was a party going on, and the bottom floor is faced with the unique, extremely fine latticework that is known as ‘Kaga lattice’. The standard of décor was also far higher than most merchant houses, at least to the extent allowed by the various Sumptuary Laws that the Shogunate passed. Due in part to the long gloomy winters, Kaga décor is far brighter than the drab earth browns and greens and ochres of Kyoto style: bold bright scarlets (benigara: 紅柄) and ultramarines were popular. The upper floor of the Seisonkaku Villa in Kenrokuen is particularly boldly-decorated, with purple and black walls as well.

These Ryotei in Kanazawa offer geisha ozashiki parties:

•Kinjorou
•Yamanoo
•Kincharyo
•Kanazawa Chaya
•Ryori Ryokan Matsumoto

Here is a page featuring some pictures of a Kanazawa ozashiki in action!

http://thetechmatteranswer.com/2010/03/04/%E2%80%9Cgeisha-party%E2%80%9D-in-kanazawa/

A video as found from a Kanazawa tourism site: http://kanazawayadotime.blog126.fc2.com/blog-entry-3.html

And another from Kanazawa Convention:



I hope to find more soon! ^^

[AnaIkimaru]

More videos!



An account of an ozashiki in Kanazawa from a Japanese tourist:

http://kayo-english.blogspot.com/2010/02/trip-to-kanazawa-geisha-japanese-laquer.html

An account of an ozashiki in Kanazawa from a English-speaking teacher:

http://chuhichic.blogspot.com/2010/01/ozashiki-asobi-evening-with-geisha-in.html

Note: In this article she confirms that Kanazawa geisha are actually called "geiko". Kanji: 芸子

They also play Janken, a rock paper siscors game Her account:

Next they introduced the rock, paper, scissors (Janken in Japanese) game and boy I thanked my lucky stars that I'd already had my stage debut and didn't have to go up again. Basically you played janken in time to the beat. If you lost you had to turn around and if you won you had to beat the drum. If you won 3 times in a row you're the winner and move onto the next geiko. Sounds easy? Errrrr no! Everyone struggled to get it.

I volunteered my friend Ayako (much to her dismay) and she played like a pro beating all the geikos until it was the final showdown with the head geiko and yep you've got it, she won!

She also tells you how you can book the party!

[AnaIkimaru]

The following links are more information about the Kanazawa Geisha. They are mostly in Japanese, so have your translators ready. ^^

The house Nishi Izumi-ya's page can be found here:http://kanazawa-nishiizumiya.com/index.html

If you hurry and go to Kanazawa before March 26th, you can partake in a deal where for $35, you can meet geisha, have tea, tea cakes, and watch a program.
http://www.kanazawa-kankoukyoukai.gr.jp/feature_geikonotabi10/

More about the three individual hanamachi in Kanazawa:

Higashi Chaya-gai:

Located in the northeast of the Castle "Kanazawa Higashi Chaya District," was collected in order strengthen the defenses Maeda Shiroshita "卯辰山 temple group" between the 浅野川 in a familiar and Onagawa.
Masa Aya three years, according to the literature (1820) has been described as the city made the tea.
Suitable for the city prestige and tradition of the official clan Tyaya, Tatazumai its tasteful, be designated as conservation district of traditional buildings in the country, along with Gion Shinbashi.
Currently, there are tea houses in the open eight houses, geisha was fourteen.
The parlor "'s look notice" principle, but also has a bar that Tyaya, here we can get there easily.
There is also a popular tourist spot in Kanazawa, a Japanese-style neighborhood cafe food processing and utilizing the traditional architecture, dotted with numerous shops, crowded with many tourists.

Next town:
Located in the southwest of the castle in Kanazawa "Tyaya to town" is also out of the defense strategy through the south of Shiroshita Saigawa collected "Teramati temple group" close to where the.
Around town the tea can also Masashi Aya, a bustling entertainment district, even after the Meiji era.
Became a best seller in the Taisho Era [ground], also known as a child lived in the Shimada Kiyozirou writers, as well as Higashi Chaya District, followed by a teahouse elative beautiful child.
Currently, five hotels operating in the teahouse.
Geisha are most people in the city 三茶屋 xxii is vibrant and youthful. (In Babelfish translation, it states this town has the most geisha- 22 geisha in 3 houses.
Also, the bar was installed Tyaya, tourists can be seen enjoying a regular 交Jitsu
Hokuriku's most Katamati and neon, has become one of the charms and attractions close Teramati temple group.

Final Town:
"City Budget Tyaya town" is the Roman Bridge Taisyou 浅野川 drift (National Registered Tangible Cultural Property) located downstream from the left bank, two year history of the Meiji era (1869) dates back to.
The town's name, Kaga samuraiTomita
And I
Accountant
Kazue
Was derived from that house.
Currently, four houses in sales in the teahouses, geisha was twelve.
But the most impressive in the small town 三茶屋, put enthusiasm into 芸道 is hot and are dedicated to training hard
In the river, the view from here is for you 金沢Rashii streets.
Also, fire and street light leaking from the grille, special atmosphere of the city is also the most brightly illuminated Tyaya.
Department official nine-scripted film 手Gaketa Maiko Kudo [Haaaan!!!] (Published June 07) has also become the location.


If this page is a good record, that means at this time there are 48 geisha in Kanazawa! And possibly 15 houses. Not bad! Keep it up, Kanazawa and we hope your numbers will continue to grow!

^^

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