1.
low dining table, chabudai
A short-legged Japanese table traditionally used for meals, around which family members would sit on the floor. Symbol of Showa-era family dining.
ちゃぶ台を囲んで家族で食事をした。
The family gathered around the chabudai for a meal.
祖父の家にはまだちゃぶ台がある。
There's still a chabudai at my grandfather's house.
昭和の家庭ではちゃぶ台が一般的だった。
The chabudai was common in Showa-era households.
CHARACTERISTICS:
- Short legs (typically 30-40 cm high)
- Usually round or square
- Can be folded and stored when not in use
- Used while sitting on the floor (畳 or cushions)
CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
The ちゃぶ台 became popular in the Meiji and Taisho periods and symbolizes 昭和-era family life. It represents the image of the family gathered together for meals.
EXPRESSION: ちゃぶ台返し (chabudai-gaeshi)
"Flipping the chabudai" - refers to dramatically overturning the table in anger, associated with the stereotypical strict father figure (頑固親父) in Showa dramas. Now used metaphorically for sudden, dramatic rejection or reversal.
MODERN CONTEXT: Most Japanese households now use Western-style dining tables, but ちゃぶ台 are still found in traditional settings and remain popular in the form of low 座卓 (floor tables) for 鍋 (hot pot) gatherings.
Related Words
Related:
座卓 (floor table)