ryōri-no-ma 料理の間

1　The part of the kitchen where the finishing stages of food preparation took place and where meals were divided into individual portions in upper class residences of the Edo period. Although sometimes synonymous with *kamidai dokoro上台所 and *kiyo dokoro 清所, ryōri-no-ma often seems to have been a more general term for a servery. There might have been several within a large residence, sometimes some distance away from the main kitchen structure *dai dokoro 台所 and close to the reception or living rooms which they were intended to serve.The ryōri-no-ma was often equipped with shelving and a hearth set into the floor *irori 囲炉裏.
2　In vernacular houses *minka 民家 of the Edo period in Miyagi, Fukushima, Ibaraki and Tottori Prefectures, a room adjacent to the earth-floored area *doma 土間 and to the rear of the main living room *hiroma 広間. It was used for food preparation and the storage of cooking utensils. It often had a boarded floor without *tatami 畳 and was usually equipped with an irori.
3　In minka in parts of Aichi Prefecture, the principal living room adjacent to the doma. Usually equipped with an irori.