A board, usually of pine but sometimes Japanese cedar, placed between a normal sized host's mat *temaedatami 点前畳, and a smaller mat *daimedatami 台目畳. The length of the board is about 95.45 cm, the thickness about 4.5 cm and the width 45.5 cm. Some boards, however, are only 24.2 cm wide. It is found mainly in tea ceremony rooms of 4 1/2 mats or smaller. Although it is not clear when this board was first used, it was already in use in the Momoyama period. It is believed to have been added to support the portable hearth *furo 風炉, and various utensils. The *fukasanjō 深三畳 tea ceremony room, which was popular during the Momoyama period, used the mukō-ita. By the late 16th century, a 42 cm square sunken fire-box began to be placed next to the mukō-ita. Examples: Konnichi'an 今日庵 at Urasenke 裏千家,and Yoshino Dayū Ihōan 吉野大夫遺芳庵 at Kōdaiji 高台寺, both in Kyoto.
Konnichi'an 今日庵
a) *ro 炉 b) mukō-ita 向板 c) *koita 小板 d) *kabedoko 壁床
e) *daimedatami 台目畳 f) *mizuya dōko 水屋洞庫 g) *sadōguchi 茶道口 h) *nijiriguchi 躙口
Ihō'an 遺芳庵
a) *ro 炉 b) mukō-ita 向板 c) *kabedoko 壁床 d) *daimedatami 台目畳
e) *mizuya dōko 水屋洞庫 f) *sadōguchi 茶道口 g ) *nijiriguchi 躙口 h) *marumado 円窓