(おうざ)

おうざ
noun
throne; championship title
societysports
1. throne; royal seat
The seat or position of a king or queen. Used literally for a monarch's seat.
(おう)王座(おうざ)(すわ)
The king sits on the throne.
The king was driven from the throne by the revolution.
Throughout the long history, many kings ascended to this throne.
2. championship title; top position
The position of champion or number one in a competition, sport, or field. Very common in sports and shogi/go contexts.
王座(おうざ)(まも)
To defend the title.
They won the championship for three years in a row.
A young shogi player won their first title in the Oza tournament.

Compound of (おう) (king) + () (seat). Used both literally for a royal throne and figuratively for the top position in competitive fields.

Common collocations

Cultural note

王座(おうざ)(せん) is one of the eight major title matches in professional shogi (将棋(しょうぎ)). It is also used as a title in go (囲碁(いご)). In general sports reporting, 王座(おうざ) is commonly used to mean "the championship."

Similar words

  • 玉座(ぎょくざ): throne (more literary; emphasizes the physical seat)
  • チャンピオン: champion (loanword, more casual)
  • 覇者(はしゃ): champion, conqueror (literary, emphatic)