doza 土座

1　A type of floor found in vernacular houses, *minka 民家, used to create a sitting area, za 座 or kyoshitsubu 居室部, without incurring the expense of a raised floor, takayuka 高床, made of timber. Rice husks, momigara 籾殻, were spread upon the floor to a depth of about 50 cm and covered with thin reed mats, mushiro 筵. The momigara was changed once or twice a year. Doza were still used in minka in certain parts of Shiga Prefecture up to the end of World War II.

2　In minka in parts of Miyagi Prefecture, a room with a raised timber floor toward the front of the house adjacent to the earthen-floored area, *doma 土間.