staking out a spot; saving a place; reserving a location
Refers to the act of securing a physical space in advance, such as a seat, picnic spot, or parking place, often by arriving early or leaving an item.
Staking out a spot for cherry blossom viewing starts early in the morning.
I lined up the day before to save a place at the concert venue.
Compound of 場所 (basho, 'place') and 取り (tori, the noun form of 取る, 'to take').