noun
sunken hearth; traditional open fireplace
A traditional Japanese heating and cooking fixture set into the floor, often found in old farmhouses. The word is culturally specific and has no exact English equivalent.
祖母の家には今でも囲炉裏がある。
My grandmother's house still has a sunken hearth.
冬になると、家族は囲炉裏を囲んで暖をとった。
In winter, the family gathered around the sunken hearth to keep warm.
The word いろり is of native Japanese origin. The kanji 囲炉裏 are ateji (phonetic characters) and do not reflect the word's etymology.