idoko　居所

Shortened form of idokoro 居所. A name for rooms or spaces in the following contexts:

1　In small traditional farmhouses, nōka 農家, in the Suwa 諏訪 district of Nagano Prefecture, a room adjacent to the earth-floored area *doma 土間 used as an everyday living room and for entertaining guests, since these houses often have no other guest room. It has an open hearth *irori 囲炉裏, cut into the floor which is used for cooking and around which meals are taken.

2　In traditional farmhouses in parts of Yamanashi and Nagano Prefectures, a large room, sometimes as large as eighteen *tatami 畳 mats, adjacent to the earth-floored area *doma 土間 used as the principal everyday living room. It has an open hearth *irori 囲炉裏, cut in the floor on the side closest to the doma, is unceilinged and has a bare timber floor. The household Shinto altar *kamidana 神棚 and Buddhist altar *butsudan 仏壇 are kept in it. See *oue 御上.

3　In traditional farmhouses in parts of Gunma and Akita Prefectures, a timber platform projecting from the raised floor living rooms, kyoshitsubu 居室部, into the doma. It has an irori and is used as a cooking area and for sedentary work during the winter months.

4　In farmhouses in the area of Kamaishi 釜石 city, Iwate Prefecture, the sitting area around the irori in a timber platform projecting into the rear of the *doma 土間.

5　In traditional farmhouses in parts of Fukushima Prefecture a large room at the upper end *kamite 上手, of the earth-floored area *doma 土間, which serves as the principal everyday living room. The raised timber floor has an open hearth *irori 囲炉裏, cut into it. The space is alternatively referred to as kami no ma 上の間 in the same region.