The za (座, 'seat' or 'pitch') were one of the primary types of trade guilds in feudal Japan. The za grew out of protective cooperation between merchants and religious authorities. They became more prominent during the Muromachi period where they would ally themselves with noble patrons, before they became more independent later in the period. The za commonly organized by locality, and not by trade in the rural areas; but grouped by trade in the larger cities, more familiar to their European counterparts.

The monopoly of the za was challenged during the reign of Oda Nobunaga. Later in the early 18th century, the za gained in influence by working more closely with the Tokugawa government; this brought more centralization and a return to their monopoly power. After the Meiji restoration, the za was either replaced, eclipsed or would gradually adopt more modern forms of business, eventually giving rise to the modern zaibatsu and keiretsu monopolies of the 20th century.