1.
threshold, doorsill
The horizontal piece at the bottom of a doorway or sliding door frame in Japanese architecture.
敷居を踏まないように注意してください。
Please be careful not to step on the threshold.
古い家の敷居はすり減っている。
The thresholds in old houses are worn down.
2.
barrier, hurdle (figurative)
Used figuratively to describe psychological barriers or difficulty in approaching something.
このレストランは敷居が高い。
This restaurant feels intimidating (hard to enter).
敷居が高くて入りにくい店だ。
It's a shop that's hard to go into (feels exclusive).
JAPANESE ARCHITECTURE: In traditional Japanese rooms with sliding doors (襖 or 障子), the 敷居 is the bottom track where the doors slide. The upper track is called 鴨居.
CULTURAL NOTE: 敷居を踏む (stepping on the threshold) is traditionally considered bad manners or bad luck. Guests should step over it.
KEY IDIOM: 敷居が高い
- Literally: "the threshold is high"
- Meaning: Feels intimidating or inaccessible
- Usage: For places/activities that feel exclusive, expensive, or psychologically difficult to approach
- Example: 高級レストランは敷居が高い (High-end restaurants feel intimidating)
NOTE ON USAGE: The idiom 敷居が高い is sometimes used incorrectly. Originally it meant feeling awkward returning somewhere after doing something wrong. Modern usage often means "intimidating" or "hard to approach."
RELATED ARCHITECTURE:
- 鴨居: lintel (upper frame)
- 襖: sliding paper doors
- 障子: paper screens