Something you don't see a lot in Japanese homes. A place to hide stuff;) I don't know why but closets are either non existant in some rooms or just too small so older homes in Japan seem cluttered. This photo is from the narrower west side. The loft is a roomy 17 jyo (300 sq feet or 56 sq meters). The ceiling has to be made at 140cm or it is added as a room. The stairs go right up to the loft so there is no need for ladders etc. It will be a great place to put stuff we aren't using and easy to access. Just a flight of stairs away.