The ''kamiza'' ( ja, 上座) is the "top seat" within a room, meaning the

seat of honor {{Short pages monitor See also *Curule seat Honor Honour (British English) or honor (American English; see spelling differences) is the idea of a bond between an individual and a society as a quality of a person that is both of social teac ...

; the term also applies to the best seats in air-planes, trains, and cars. The antonym, meaning "bottom seat," is ''shimoza'' (下座). In a room, the ''kamiza'' is the seat or position that is most comfortable, usually furthest from the door – because this is warmest, and was safest from attack back in the

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. In a traditional ''

washitsu A , meaning "Japanese-style room(s)", and frequently called a "tatami room" in English, is a Japanese room with traditional tatami flooring. also usually have sliding doors (), rather than hinged doors between rooms. They may have and, if the ...

'' room it would often be a ''

zabuton A zabuton ( ja, 座布団, lit=sitting futon, links=no, ) is a cushion for sitting that is commonly used in traditional Japanese settings. Zabuton is a Japanese loanword that is also sometimes used in Western culture to describe the ''zaniku'', a ...

'' placed so the person sitting there has his back to the ''

tokonoma A , or simply , is a recessed space in a Japanese-style reception room, in which items for artistic appreciation are displayed. In English, a could be called an alcove. History There are two theories about the predecessor of : the first is ...

''; the ''kamiza'' is the spot closest to the ''tokonoma'' or simply farthest from the door in a room lacking a ''tokonoma''. In a

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-style room it would be a comfortable armchair or

sofa A couch, also known as a sofa, settee, or chesterfield, is a cushioned item of furniture for seating multiple people (although it is not uncommon for a single person to use a couch alone). It is commonly found in the form of a bench with uph ...

, or the head of a table. The term is general, and does not only apply to

Japanese culture The culture of Japan has changed greatly over the millennia, from the country's prehistoric Jōmon period, to its contemporary modern culture, which absorbs influences from Asia and other regions of the world. Historical overview The ance ...

Choosing a seat

When entering a room in Japan on a formal occasion, participants are expected to assume the correct seating position, and to leave the ''kamiza'' free for the most important person present, either a guest of honor or the person of highest rank. However, if one humbly sits somewhere indicative of lower status and is then encouraged by the host to move to the ''kamiza'', it is acceptable to do so. The best seats in a

car A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarded as ...

in descending order of rank are: directly behind the driver, behind the front passenger, in the middle of the back seat, front passenger seat, driver. In

air-plane An airplane or aeroplane (informally plane) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine, propeller, or rocket engine. Airplanes come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and wing configurations. The broad spectr ...

train In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and Passenger train, transport people or Rail freight transport, freight. Trains are typically pul ...

passenger seating, the "top seat" is the window-side, followed by the aisle seat and then the middle seat.

References

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