Shakkanhō
Shakkanhō ( Japanese 尺 貫 法 ) is an old Japanese system of measurements for lengths, volumes, areas, weights and money. It is based on the Chinese system of measurements , which was used throughout East Asia .
Relation to the meter rule
The Japanese Weights and Measures Act of 1891 states:
Note: The units of measurement given below differed greatly from the given values in ancient times.
1 Jō ( 丈 ) | = 100/33 m |
1 kanejaku ( 曲尺 ) | = 10/33 m |
1 kujirajaku ( 鯨 尺 ) | = 25/66 m |
The acronym Shaku ( 尺 ) usually stands for Kanejaku ( 曲尺 ). The 25% larger kujirajaku ( 鯨 尺 ) is almost no longer needed these days.
length
The traditional Japanese measures of length are still used regularly in some industries today, although Japan long introduced the metric system . These include agriculture, carpentry and certain local crafts such as the Bogu -Macherei. The dimensions are defined in relation to the meter .
unit | Kanji | size | meter | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mō | 毛, 毫 | 1 / 33,000 | 0, 03 mm | |
Rin | 厘 | 10 mo | 1/3300 | 0, 30 mm |
Bu | 分 | 10 rin | 1/330 | 3, 03 mm |
Sun | 寸 | 10 Bu | 1/33 | 3, 03 cm |
Shaku | 尺 | 10 Sun | 10/33 | 3, 03 dm |
Ken A. | 間 | 6 Shaku | 20/11 | |
Jō | 丈 | 10 shaku | 100/33 | 3, 03 m |
Chō | 町 | 360 Shaku = 36 Jō = 60 Ken | 1200/11 | 0.1 09 km |
Ri | 里 | 12,960 Shaku = 36 Chō | 43.200 / 11 | 3.9 27 km |
A shaku roughly corresponds to the foot used in Europe and still today in the USA . There is next to another Shaku , the Kujirajaku ( 鯨尺 ) of 25/66 meters (0.3 78 m), but that was less common. The kanejaku ( 曲尺 ) is common.
Due to different transcriptions , the terms Sung and Sonn for Sun - 寸 - and Sasi for Shaku - 尺 - and Jo for Chō - 町 can be found here and there, especially in older texts .
- annotation
surface
unit | Kanji | size | in SI units | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 shaku | 勺 | 4/121 m² | ≈ 3.3058 dm² | |
1 Go | 合 | 10 shaku | 40/121 m² | ≈ 33.058 dm² |
1 jō | 畳 | 5 Gō = ½ tsubo | 200/121 m² | ≈ 1.6529 m² |
1 tsubo | 坪 / 歩 | 10 Gō = 1 Ken 2 | 400/121 m² | ≈ 3.3058 m² |
1 se | 畝 | 30 tsubo | 12,000 / 121 m² | ≈ 99.174 m² |
1 tan | 段 / 反 | 300 tsubo = 10 se | 120,000 / 121 m² | ≈ 991.736 m² ≈ 9.92 a |
1 Chō | 町 | 3000 tsubo = 10 tan | 1,200,000 / 121 m² | ≈ 9917 m² ≈ 0.992 ha |
- Area dimensions and length dimensions hanging by the definition 1 tsubo - 坪,歩 = 1 Ken 2 - 間2 - with each other.
- The size of a Jō - 畳 - can be interpreted differently from the regionally different Tatami sizes.
volume
The traditional Japanese measures of volume are still important today ( rice , sake ), although Japan introduced the metric system a long time ago.
unit | Kanji | size | liter |
---|---|---|---|
Shaku | 勺 | ≈ 0.018039 | |
Gō | 合 | 10 shaku | ≈ 0.18039 |
Shō | 升 | 10 Go | ≈ 1.8039 |
To | 斗 | 10 Shō | ≈ 18.039 |
Koku | 石 | 10 tons | ≈ 180.39 |
- Exact definition of 1891: 1 Shō = 2401 / 1331 liters = 64.827 Sun 3
Weight
unit | Kanji | size | Gram |
---|---|---|---|
1 fun | 分 | 0.375 g = 375 mg | |
1 Mom (me) B | 匁 | 10 fun | 3.75 g |
1 ryō | 両 | 10 momme | 37.5 g |
1 child | 斤 | 160 momme | 600 g |
1 came (me) C | 貫 (目) | 1000 momme | 3750 g = 3.75 kg |
1 Shō | 鍾 | 10,000 momme | 37.5 kg |
1 gan | 岩 | 1,000,000 momme | 3750 kg = 3.75 t |
- In 1891 1 kin - 斤 - (see also Kätti ) was defined as exactly 600 grams.
- The ryō - 両 - corresponds to the Chinese tael .
- annotation
money
Edo period (1603 to 1868)
copper | 1 month | 文 | = 1 month | Copper coin (see cash ) |
1 hiki | 疋 | = 10 months | ||
1 combon | 貫 文 | = 100 hiki = 1000 months | ||
silver | 1 mo | 毛 | = 1 mo | |
1 rin | 厘 | = 10 mo | ||
1 fun | 分 | = 10 rin = 100 mo | ||
1 Mom (me) B | 匁 | = 10 fun = 100 rin = 1000 mo | Silver coin | |
1 came (me) C | 貫 (目) | = 1000 momme = 1,000,000 mō | ||
gold | 1 Shu | 朱 | = 1 Shu | |
1 Bu | 分 | = 4 Shu | ||
1 ryō | 両 | = 4 Bu = 16 Shu |
The prices between copper, silver and gold fluctuated among each other. 1 Ryō corresponded to approx. 50–70 Momme silver coins and approx. 4,000–8,000 Mon copper coins. For example, the price of 1842 was: 1 Ryō = 60 Momme = 6500 Mon. The money change has been and is still considered ryōgae ( 両替 ) D respectively. The elongated oval gold coin Ryō was usually called Koban ( 小 判 ) in the Edo period .
Meiji period (from 1868)
A follow-up to Shakkanhō
Some of the above names are actually dimensionless, they only give a series of fractions of ten, such as centi, milli, and therefore appear in different places - without a dimension such as -meter, -liter. The names of the system adopted from China were slightly modified. In China, a bu ( 分 ) expressed 1/10 of the reference dimension, a rin ( 厘 ) 1/100. In Japan the tenth was (and is called) a wari ( 割 ), the bu or bun became the hundredth and the rin became the thousandth, the mō ( 毛 ) became the ten thousandth and shi ( 糸 ) became the hundredth.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Strictly speaking, money does not belong in this system.
- ↑ fas.harvard.edu