woven mat; straw mat
A traditional mat woven from straw, rushes, or bamboo, used for sitting, sleeping, or as a floor covering. Often associated with rustic or historical settings.
Formal or literary term for a seat; occasionally written with the kanji 席. Rare in modern everyday speech.
In old houses, people sat on woven mats spread on the floor.
Several straw mats were stacked in the farm shed.
In old documents, the expression 'yield one's seat' can be found.
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms 筵 and 莚 are less common.
Kanji form for 'woven mat'; also read えん in some contexts.
Katakana spelling, sometimes used for emphasis or in certain contexts.
Rarely used kanji form.
Variant kanji form for 'woven mat'.
The origin is uncertain, but it is a native Japanese word. The kanji 筵 and 莚 are used for their meaning, not for phonetic reasons.