zashiki 座敷

A generic term for a room covered with straw mats *tatami 畳. In the Heian period when aristocratic dwellings *shinden-zukuri 寝殿造 were floored with wooden planks, woven straw or rush mats, some with bound edging, and thick mats agedatami 上畳 that raised the person a little above floor level were used for seating. Eventually, from the late 12th century, the word zashiki applied to rooms completely covered with straw mats and was used for guests. Thus, it became a reception room or guest room. This custom was later emulated in the folk dwellings *minka 民家 of lower ranking people in the Edo period. Both *sukiya 数寄屋 and *shoin 書院 later came to use not only tatami but also incorporated alcoves (both *tokonoma 床の間 and *wakidana 脇棚) in the zashiki.