yokoza 横座

1　The seat of the principal and most honored guest sonsha 尊者 at formal banquets in the shinden style residences *shinden-zukuri 寝殿造 of the Heian period aristocracy. The yokoza was located in the main hall *moya 母屋 of the shinden 寝殿, in front of the entrance to the enclosed sleeping room *nurigome 塗篭 and faced the body of the hall.

2　In traditional vernacular houses *minka 民家 of the Edo period, one of the seats around the open hearth *irori 囲炉裏 set into the floor of the main everyday living room *oue 御上, *ima 居間, *hiroma 広間. It was occupied by the master of the house and was generally situated on the upper side *kamite 上手 of the irori, and faced out over the earth-floored area *doma 土間 at the lower end *shimote 下手 of the house. Traditionally the master did not give up this seat to others, even guests. Guests of high status were not received in the room containing the yokoza. The term is believed to have been in use in minka since the Muromachi period. Although yokoza was the most commonly used term, there were many regional variants, including kamiza 上座 , okuza 奥座, teishuza 亭主座, dannaza 旦那座, oyazashiki 親座敷, yokozashiki 横座敷.

3　Comparatively rarely, yokoza was used in Edo period minka to refer not to the master's seat itself but to one or both of the two flanking seats (most commonly referred to respectively as the guest's seat *kyakuza 客座, or the wife's seat *nyōbōza 女房座. This yokoza was located on either side of the irori at 90 degrees to the master's seat.

4　In Edo period minka in parts of Nagano and Ibaraki Prefectures, an alternative term for the kitchen *daidokoro 台所. The room is toward the rear of the house and is provided with an irori.

5　In Edo period minka in parts of Niigata, Tochigi, Yamaguchi, Ehime, and Nagasaki Prefectures, a term for an everyday living room, equipped with an irori.