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is the traditional Japanese system of measurement. The name ''shakkanhō'' originates from the name of two of the units, the ''shaku'', a unit of length, and the ''kan'', a mass measurement. The system is Chinese in origin. The units originated in the Shang Dynasty in the 13th century BC, and eventually stabilized in the Zhou Dynasty in the 10th century BC and spread from there to Japan, South East Asia, and Korea. The units of the Tang Dynasty were officially adopted in Japan in 701, and the current ''shaku'' measurement has hardly altered since then. Many Taiwanese units of measurement are derived from the ''shakkanhō'' system. From 1924, the ''shakkanhō'' system was replaced by the metric system,〔(【引用サイトリンク】 url=http://kindai.da.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/796077 )〕 and use of the old units for official purposes was forbidden after 31 March 1966.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 url=http://www.intermet.jp/metric/ )〕 However, in several instances the old system is still used. In carpentry and agriculture use of the old-fashioned terms is common. Tools such as Japanese chisels, spatels, saws, hammers are manufactured in sizes of ''sun'' and ''bu''. Land is sold on the basis of price in ''tsubo''. Until the 2005 Japanese census, people were able to give the area of their houses in either square metres or ''tsubo''. The ''tsubo'' was not used in the 2010 census. There are several different versions of the ''shakkanhō''. The tables below show the one in common use in the Edo period. In 1891 the most common units were given definitions in terms of the metric system: == Length == The basis of the ''shakkanhō'' length measurements is the ''shaku'', which originated in ancient China. The other units are all fixed fractions or multiples of this basic unit. The ''shaku'' was originally the length from the thumb to the middle finger (about ), but its length, and hence the length of the other units, gradually increased, since the length of the unit was related to the level of taxation. Various ''shaku'' developed for various purposes. The unit of all measurement, such as area, is ''shaku''. To distinguish from other ''shaku'', this unit is called the . ''Kanejaku'' means "carpenter's square", and this ''shaku'' was used by Japanese carpenters. The carpenter's ''shaku'', used for construction, preserved the original Chinese ''shaku'' measurement, because it was never altered, whereas the other ''shaku'' systems, which were used for taxation or trade, were altered to increase taxation, and, hence, gradually deviated from the original value. The , literally "whale shaku", was a standard used in the clothing industry. The name, "whale shaku", comes from the rulers, which were made from baleen. A ''kujirajaku'' is 25% longer than ''kanejaku''. As well as the ''kanejaku'' and ''kujirajaku'' systems, other ''shaku'' systems also existed. One example is the ''gofukujaku'' (呉服尺), which refers to traditional Japanese clothing, such as kimonos. In the ''gofukujaku'' system, one ''shaku'' equals 1.2 times the ''kanejaku''. ''Shaku'' units are still used for construction materials in Japan. For example, plywood is usually manufactured in (about ) sheets known in the trade as , or 3 × 6 ''shaku''. Each sheet is about the size of one tatami mat. The thicknesses of the sheets, however, are usually measured in millimetres. The names of these units also live in the name of the bamboo flute , literally "shaku eight", which measures one ''shaku'' and eight ''sun'', and the Japanese version of the Tom Thumb story, , literally "one ''sun'' boy", as well as in many Japanese proverbs. The Shōsōin in Nara has ivory one-shaku rulers, the .〔(甲 )〕〔(乙 )〕 Note: There is an older type of 'ri', about 600 m. This can be seen in use, for example, in beach names. Kujukuri Beach is 99 ri (kyu ju ku), about 60 km. Shichiri Beach is 7 ri (shichi) 4.2 km. While this use is evidence of the existence of the 'old' ri, information about it in English is hard to come by. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Japanese units of measurement」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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