Shima is a teahouse in Kanazawa which was a Nationally designated important cultural property. The building was used as an active teahouse from the Edo period through to the Meiji period.
Shima is now a facility that showcases the teahouse culture of Kanazawa city. Although it was built about 200 years ago, everything remains as it was back then except for the electric lights and toilets. During the Edo period, it was forbidden to build tall buildings without permission from the Shogunate, but Shima was one of the few buildings permitted to be two stories high.
Shima used to be an entertainment facility for wealthy merchants, and was a prestigious teahouse that only trusted customers were allowed to enter.
The reason is that it was important for customers to understand the value of the art and preparation.