Spotlight: The Ichiriki
On The Eleventh Day Of Fun I present... another ask! I’ve been holding onto this one for close to a year (sorry about that!), so let’s take a look at arguably the most famous ochaya in Japan! The Ichiriki (一力亭) was first established in the 17th century in the heart of what would become Gion. It actually started out life as the Yorozuya (万屋), which just means “General Store.” Due to the popularity of the play Kanadehon Chūshingura (仮名手本忠臣蔵), who disguised the name as Ichiriki to get past censorship (breaking up the “万” kanji into “一” and “力”), the establishment actually renamed itself to the Ichiriki and has retained the name ever since. The Chūshingura stories, also known as The Legend of The 47 Ronin, are what have cemented the Ichiriki into legend. It was at the Ichiriki that the leader of the 47 ronin, Oishi Kuranosuke (大石内蔵助) (1659 - 1703), plotted his revenge against the man who made their master commit suicide, Kira Yoshinaka. To celebrate the bravery of the 47 ronin, a dedication dance is held each year on March 20th in the main room of the Ichiriki called Oishi Ki (大石忌). The highlight is Yachiyo Inoue’s dance and one of the only times that she performs annually. This is an invite only event for the Ichiriki’s most loyal customers. The family that owns and operates the Ichiriki is the Sugiura (杉浦) family. They are currently on the 9th head of the establishment, with Jirōuemon Sugiura being the current proprietor. Image of the Ichiriki is courtesy of Jitbag.
