Keywords
Architecture
General Terms
Floor or storey, and also a counter for floors in a building. For example, nikai 二階 refers to the second floor or can be used to describe a two-storied structure. It follows that sangai 三階 means third floor or three stories, etc. Kaika 階下 means downstairs or lower floor; kaijō 階上, upstairs or upper floor. Double shelving can be described as nikaidana 二階棚. Kai in the sense of story or floor is synonymous with *sō 層, kyū 級 or *jū 重.