Ochaya Shima is a historical geisha house in the Higashi Chaya-gai district of Kanazawa. The building is now a museum and gives visitors a look at the life of the geisha who once entertained here. Many of the former geisha houses in this area have been converted into guest houses or restaurants. However, this house is dedicated to preserving and exhibiting memories of the past and is now a nationally designated Important Cultural Asset.
Ochaya Shima Geisha House
Shima was built in 1820, at the same time as the Higashi Chaya district was created. Chaya were not ordinary tea shops, but entertainment houses where wealthy patrons gathered for music, dance, conversation, poetry, sake, and drinking games.
A tokonoma alcove is used to display art
The house has two levels, and features guest rooms on the upper floor, and the owner’s living area on the ground floor with an internal garden. There is also a dressing room for the geisha on the ground floor. Unlike a normal residence, the second-floor guest rooms have no closets or storage spaces; the rooms were arranged for entertainment, with waiting rooms and guest rooms designed for music, dance, and conversation. The interiors appear much as they did when the house was first built with lacquered wooden surfaces and elegant furnishings. You can also view displays of accessories once worn by the geisha, tea ceremony utensils, and the musical instruments that the geisha played.
A performance space displaying traditional musical instruments such as the three stringed shamisen and the biwa lute
English information pamphlets are available for foreign visitors, but the individual displays have only Japanese explanations. For an extra charge, visitors can enjoy matcha green tea with Japanese sweets at Kanson-an while looking out over the courtyard garden. Check the posted price before ordering, as tea-service prices can change.
The inner garden
Access
Shima is located in the Higashi Chaya district. From Kanazawa Station, take the Kanazawa Loop Bus, a Hokutetsu local bus, or a West Japan JR Bus to Hashiba-cho; Shima is about a 5-minute walk from the stop. The Kanazawa Loop Bus leaves from Kanazawa Station East Gate bus stop #7 and costs 220 yen for adults. The Kanazawa Flat Bus Zaimoku route’s Asanogawa Ohashi Bridge stop is also about a 5-minute walk away.
A view from an upper room
Open daily: 9.30 – 17.30 from March to November; 9.30 – 17.00 from December to February.
Entry fees:
Adults: 500 yen
Persons 16 years old and below: 300 yen
Article and original photos by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved. Last updated 26-May-2026.
