The term zashiki originally referred to “a tatami-mat room,” but over time it came to mean a formal space for receiving guests or holding banquets.

 

For this reason, the zashiki is typically the most elaborately designed room in traditional Japanese architecture, featuring certain standard elements such as the tokonoma (alcove), toko-waki (side alcove), tokobashira (alcove post), and shoin (built-in desk or study area). In addition to special decorative design, this space would often display a household’s treasured items, showcasing the taste of the head of the family.

 

In the Sugamiya Katsutaro residence, there is a zashiki on both the first and second floors. The first-floor zashiki includes only the tokonoma area, while the second-floor zashiki has the complete set of architectural features: tokonoma, toko-waki, wigedana (stepped shelves), and attached shoin. This suggests that the second floor served as the formal reception area for guests, while the first-floor zashiki functioned as an extension of the family’s living space.