rush sleeping mat; sleeping mat
A traditional Japanese mat made of woven rush (igusa) used for sleeping, often placed directly on tatami or flooring.
In summer, sleeping on a rush mat is cool.
My grandmother carefully maintains her old sleeping mat.
Common mixed kanji-kana spelling; the kana ござ makes the reading clear.
Full kanji form using 茣蓙 for ござ; rare and may not be recognized by all readers.
Abbreviated kanji form; rare.
From 寝, “sleeping,” and ござ, “rush mat.” The latter is historically connected with 御座, an honorific term for a seat that also came to denote the mat used as one.