noun
pent roof; skirt roof
Architectural term for a secondary roof or eave below the main roof, common in pagodas and temple buildings. The reading もこし is standard; しょうかい is a less common Sino-Japanese reading.
五重塔の裳階は、見た目にも美しいアクセントになっている。
The pent roof of the five-story pagoda adds a beautiful visual accent.
このお寺の本堂には裳階が付いている。
The main hall of this temple has a skirt roof.
Alternate kanji form; less common than 裳階.
庇 is a general term for eaves or an overhang, while 裳階 specifically refers to a decorative secondary roof below the main roof in traditional architecture.
裳 means 'skirt' and 階 means 'story/floor', referring to a skirt-like additional roof. The reading もこし is the standard Japanese reading; しょうかい is a Sino-Japanese reading.