Rebuilt after the 1894 fire around the storehouse that survived: people still dance here today.
The ryōtei Sōmaya opened in 1808; after the great fire of the 1894 Shōnai earthquake, the main wooden building was rebuilt around the kura (storehouse) that had survived the flames, and it has been a national Registered Tangible Cultural Property since 1996. In the 20-tatami room on the ground floor tea is served, while upstairs the maiko of Sakata (the shōnai-maiko) still dance for guests at lunchtime and in the afternoon, in the same room that was built for it.
A former teahouse and geiko restaurant, reopened in 2000 as a cultural venue that combines the dances of the Sakata maiko with a museum devoted to the painter and illustrator Takehisa Yumeji.
ℹ️ Open 10:00–16:00, last entry 15:30; closed on Wednesdays, during Obon and at New Year. Maiko performances at 12:00 (with lunch) and at 14:00. In Sakata, city centre.
🚉 Sakata · 17 min walk
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