Osaka Brand Center

During the Edo Period, there were four major ochaya (hanamachi) districts within Osaka. These were Shinmachi, Horie, Kitashinchi, and Nanchi. In the early Showa Period, when Osaka was called Dai-Osaka (Great Osaka), the hanamachi business in Osaka thrived, with 500 maiko and geiko working in Kitashinchi, 500 more in Horie, some 900 in Shinmachi, and another 2,000 in Nanchi.
Back then, ochaya in Osaka were considered not just providers of entertainment, but as the holders of kamigata geino traditions (entertainment forms originating in Osaka and Kyoto -including jiuta-mai (dance and song accompanied by the shamisen). For many business owners in the Senba area, ochaya were places where information could be exchanged, and social interactions enjoyed. Kimono worn by geiko set the latest fashion trends, and dishes served at ochaya were a reflection of Osaka’s renowned gourmet culture. At that time, Osaka’s hanamachi were indeed the center of local culture.