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上筵 (うわむしろ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

上うわ筵むしろ

Meanings

1

noun

thin padded mat laid on tatami

A thin cushion or mat placed on top of tatami flooring for added comfort or protection.

祖そ母ぼは座ざ布ぶ団とんの代かわりに上うわ筵むしろを使つかっていた。
My grandmother used a thin padded mat instead of a zabuton cushion.

Written forms

上うわ筵むしろ
Standard kanji spelling for this tatami mat.
上うわ蓆むしろ
Variant kanji form using 蓆 instead of 筵; less common.

Kanji

上above, up
筵straw mat
蓆straw mat, matting

Similar words

座ざ布ぶ団とん
A thicker, more common cushion for sitting on tatami, while 上筵 is a thinner padded mat.
筵むしろ
A general woven straw mat; 上筵 specifically refers to a thin padded mat placed on top of tatami.

Etymology

Compound of 上 (うわ, 'upper') and 筵 (むしろ, 'woven straw mat'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word describes a thin mat placed on top of tatami.