An or is an edging strip of non-tatami-matted flooring in Japanese architecture, usually wood or bamboo. The may run around the rooms, on the outside of the building, in which case they resemble a porch or sunroom. Usually, the is outside the translucent paper , but inside the storm shutters (when they are not packed away). However, some run outside the . that cannot be enclosed by , or sufficiently sheltered by eaves, must be finished to withstand the Japanese climate. Modern architecture often encloses an with sheet glass. An allows the building to remain open in the rain or sun, without getting too wet or hot, and allows flexible ventilation and sightlines. The area under an is sloped away from the building, and often paved, to carry the water away. The area directly outside the paving is usually a collector drain that takes water still further away. The is thus a way to bridge the obstacles good drainage puts between the indoors and the outdoors. Structure The is supported on posts, identical to the other uprights of the house. A row of uprights runs long the inside of the , and the sliding screens run between these; a second row of uprights runs along the outside of the . The posts traditionally stand on half-buried stones, pounded into the earth with a specialized maul, and the wood posts shaped to fit the upper surface. More recent houses may use concrete footings. The floor may not be finished, or it may be polished or lacquered. Terminology means an edge; a side. The terms and were historically used interchangeably, but now generally refers to the veranda directly outside the shutters. Types of include: Positional terms , an inner , possibly enclosed , an set one step below the floor (or ) inside it , an protruding from under the eaves and not protected by . If there are fewer than three , an may be described by more than one of the positional terms. Structural terms , a wrap-around , often a wrap-around veranda , a with boards running across its width , a with boards running along its length , a veranda with a slatted floor for better drainage , a bamboo Relation to other house components The core of a traditional Shinden-style building was the innermost room or (see diagram). This was surrounded by the , which was on