1.
throne; royal seat
The seat or position of a king or queen. Used literally for a monarch's seat.
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.
Compound of 王 (king) + 座 (seat). Used both literally for a royal throne and figuratively for the top position in competitive fields.
Common collocations
- 王座に就く: to ascend to the throne / to win the title
- 王座を守る: to defend the title
- 王座を奪う: to seize the title
- 王座戦: Oza tournament (one of the eight major shogi titles)
- 王座に輝く: to shine as champion
Cultural note
王座戦 is one of the eight major title matches in professional shogi (将棋). It is also used as a title in go (囲碁). In general sports reporting, 王座 is commonly used to mean "the championship."