hashikakushi 階隠

1　A pent roof built above the stairs on one side of the annex tai-no-ya 対の屋 in aristocratic style dwellings *shinden-zukuri 寝殿造 under which a palanquin cart could park. It is the same as the canopy *kōhai 向拝 over the steps leading to the verandas of temple or shrine buildings. With kasuga and nagare style shrine buildings *kasuga-zukuri 春日造, *nagare-zukuri 流造, the added roof of the former and extended roof of the latter are sometimes called hashikakushi because they usually cover the steps.

2　In folk dwellings *minka 民家 of Iwate, Akita, and Aomori Prefectures, hashikakushi referred to the threshold at the entrance to the enclosed chamber *nando 納戸, which was used for storage or sleeping. Across the threshold, timber the width of one post, was placed to prevent the bedding straw from spilling out of the room.