Kamishichiken

In short

A district of ochaya (tea houses) extending along the east approach to Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, considered the oldest among the existing hanamachi (geisha districts) in Kyoto. Its beginnings are said to date back to 1444 (the first year of the Bun'an era) in the Muromachi period, when seven tea stalls were built using timber left over from repairs after part of the shrine pavilions at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine burned. Calling them the "seven tea houses" (shichiken jaya) is regarded as the origin of the name.

• ​Kamishichiken-dori Street Lined with Ochaya​​: An uncluttered townscape without utility poles. At night, the scenery is exceptional as lanterns are lit and light through the lattices illuminates the street
• ​Kamishichiken Kaburenjo Theatre and Kitano Odori​​: The spring "Kitano Odori" and the autumn "Kotobuki-kai" are held here, and at the theatre's performances, the general public can view dances by geiko and maiko
• ​The Crest of Five Dumplings​​: It is said that the mitarashi dango presented by a tea house at Toyotomi Hideyoshi's Grand Kitano Tea Ceremony pleased Hideyoshi, and the hanamachi's crest of five dumplings derives from these famous dumplings

History and Highlights

​Kamishichiken​ is a district of ochaya (tea houses) extending along the east approach to Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, and is considered the oldest among the existing hanamachi (geisha districts) in Kyoto. It is one of Kyoto's five hanamachi, alongside Gion Kobu, Miyagawacho, Pontocho, and Gion Higashi. Its beginnings are said to date back to 1444 (the first year of the Bun'an era), when seven tea stalls were built using leftover timber from repairs following a fire that burned part of the shrine pavilions at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, which is regarded as the origin of the name, meaning "seven tea houses" (shichiken jaya).

In 1587 (the 15th year of the Tensho era), when Toyotomi Hideyoshi held the Grand Kitano Tea Ceremony, a tea house used as his resting place presented him with mitarashi dango (sweet dumplings on skewers). Hideyoshi was reportedly so pleased that he granted special privileges to the tea houses. The crest of five dumplings used by the Kamishichiken district derives from these famous mitarashi dango. Formed as a gate town (monzen-machi) serving Kitano Tenmangu Shrine and Senbon Shakado Temple, it is a tea house district surrounded by a historic urban area where Nishijin-ori Brocade craftsmen gathered. An atmospheric townscape continues here, where working craft and daily living coexist.

Highlights for Viewing and Experiencing

• ​Kamishichiken-dori Street Lined with Ochaya​​: Extending from the Kamishichiken intersection on Imadegawa-dori Street toward Kitano Tenmangu Shrine along the eastern approach, this street is lined with ochaya tea houses. In 2013 (Heisei 25), projects to place power lines underground, lay stone-like paving, and install street lighting were completed, creating an uncluttered townscape without utility poles. At night, the scenery is exceptional as lanterns are lit and light spills through the lattices to illuminate the street.
• ​Kamishichiken Kaburenjo Theatre and Kitano Odori​​: Kamishichiken Kaburenjo Theatre is a dignified two-story wooden building, designated as a Building Forming Historic Scenery of Kyoto City in 2009 (Heisei 21). It hosts the spring "Kitano Odori" dances, which began in 1952 (Showa 27) to commemorate Kitano Tenmangu Shrine's 1,050th-anniversary Grand Mando Lantern Festival, as well as the autumn "Kotobuki-kai". Although the geiko okiya (lodgings) in Kamishichiken can only be used by guests introduced by regular patrons, the general public can view dances performed by geiko and maiko during the performances held at the Kaburenjo Theatre.
• ​Festivals of Kitano Tenmangu Shrine and the Hanamachi​​: At the Baikasai (Plum Blossom Festival) held on February 25, the memorial anniversary of Sugawara no Michizane, an outdoor nodate tea gathering is hosted amidst the blooming plum trees by the entire Kamishichiken district in devotional service. During the autumn Zuiki Matsuri, a procession carrying the zuiki mikoshi (taro-stalk portable shrine) decorated with vegetables passes through the streets of Kamishichiken, where geiko and maiko, who are parishioners, step out to the entranceways of their ochaya to welcome the procession.

Strolling Tips

It is about a 3-minute walk after getting off at the city bus stops "Kitano Tenmangu-mae" or "Kamishichiken". Kitano Tenmangu Shrine is about 180 meters to the west, allowing visitors to walk through the gate town in conjunction with their shrine visit. At Saiho-niji Temple, located north of the Kaburenjo Theatre, "Rikyu no I" (Rikyu's Well) remains, which is said to have been used by Sen no Rikyu during Hideyoshi's Grand Kitano Tea Ceremony.