Shaku

Shaku

Unit of length
m=#expr:10/33
accuracy=3

The "shaku" (尺) is an archaic Japanese unit of length, approximately equal to the foot. As with other measurements, it was originally derived from nature: the average length between nodes on bamboo. Since 1891, the "shaku" has been defined to equal 10/33 meters (approximately 30.3 cm, or 11.93 inches), or 3.3 "shaku" to the meter. A single "shaku" is divided into 10 "sun" (寸).

Another unit of length also called the "shaku" was used only for measuring cloth. This "shaku" measured 125/330 meters (approximately 37.9 cm, or 14.9 inches). When a distinction needed to be made between the two "shaku", the cloth unit was referred to as "kujirajaku" (whale "shaku", as the rulers for measuring cloth were made from whale whisker) and the other "shaku" was referred to as "kanejaku" (metal "shaku").

While Japanese law required official use of these units be discontinued on March 31, 1966, the "shaku" is still used in some fields in Japan, such as traditional carpentry. The "ken" and "jō" are larger than a "shaku": six "shaku" make up one "ken"; ten "shaku" make up one "jō". The "ken" is commonly the distance between pillars in traditional buildings such as Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines.

The Shosoin in Nara has an ancient ivory one-"shaku" ruler.

The shakuhachi is a Japanese musical instrument nominally measuring 1 "shaku" and eight ("hachi") "sun" in length.

External links

* [http://lamar.colostate.edu/~hillger/internat.htm#japan Japanese Metric Changeover] by Joseph B. Reid, President Emeritus, Canadian Metric Association (U.S. Metric Association page)
* [http://www.sizes.com/units/shaku.htm Details of the two shaku units] at [http://www.sizes.com sizes.com]


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