Step Tansu

Yes, Harry left for a weekend, and it just happened to be the biannual Bazaar on base. Since I haven't bought any furniture since I got here and feel the need to have this place as organized as I can in the next month, I purchased a Step Tansu. At first I thought I wouldn't buy a big piece of furniture by myself, but then I decided I didn't want to wait until the next bazaar, and I have a free wall in my bedroom so why not fill it up. Luckily my girlfriend Diane came and checked out my final 2 items and helped me with my decision. Needless to say it was delivered today and Harry is pleased with my choice. Not that it will be hard but we have to figure out what is going to go into it. This piece of furniture is actually 3 individual pieces that can be mixed and matched to create many different configurations. You can make it a tall rectangle or you could make it a horizontal. It has a long history of use in Japan, and it also has a hidden cabinet which is fun. History of the Step (Kaidan) Tansu The step tansu has always been the most popular Japanese tansu design. It uniquely provided both storage space and access to a second story or loft. In the crowded urban centers of the Edo period, the only way to expand a home was to build upwards. However, during this period it was generally forbidden to have a second story. The step tansu provided a mobile staircase to a second level, that was easily moved when the tax collector came by, since it is constructed of three separate pieces. The step tansu was also a very powerful visual architectural element in the Japanese home, which is otherwise sparsely furnished.