COINS, MEASURES, AND WEIGHTS. 507 



portation, and in the case of the Ko-ban the price gradually ran 

 up to 8 Bu. In order now to prevent the rapid withdrawal of 

 gold, the government fixed the value of the Ko-ban at 14 Bu, i.e. 

 above its real worth in Europe. A return of 0-ban and Ko-ban to 

 the national treasury now took place, in so far as they were not 

 melted down in foreign countries ; hence there was a further loss 

 for Japan. To prevent this, new Ko-ban were at last issued, in 

 i860, corresponding to the current relative value of gold and silver. 



b. — Measures and Weights. 



1. Measure of length. Its unit is the foot, Shaku or Kane-shaku 

 = 0*30303"^. I Jo =10 Shaku =100 Sun (inches) = 1000 Bu (lines) 

 = 1,000 Riu (strokes) = 100,000 Mo. 6 Shaku = I Ken = 1*8 1818"^ = 

 I fathom (about), (i m. = 3' 3'' Jap.). 



2. Measure of distance. The unit is the Japanese mile or i Ri = 

 3927-27^- (i geogr. mile =r886 Ri ; 28*29 Ri=i degree; i Ri = 

 2*44 English miles). The Chinese mile or Li contains only 447*19'" 

 = o*o6 geogr. miles. Accordingly i Ri = 8782 Li. 



I Ri=36 Ch6=2i6o Ken= 12,960 Shaku. 

 I „ = 60 „ = 360 „ 

 I jj = 6 „ 



I Shaku= I r9 English inches. 



3. Cloth measure. The unit Shaku or Kujira-shoku, i.e. fishbone- 

 foot^=ii Kane Shaku = 0-3787878"^ ; accordingly i m. = 274 

 Kujira-shaku. The smaller denominations are the same as in the 

 common measure of length. 



One Tan or piece is 26 and more Shaku long. One Hiki = 2 tan 

 of silk stuff, measures 52 Shaku. 



4. Field measure. The unit is called Tsubo and is equal to 

 3*305785 square metres. 



I Ch6=io Tan=ioo Se=3,ooo Tsubo= 110,800 sq. Shaku. 

 J „ = 10 „ = 300 „ = 10,800 „ „ 

 I „ = 30 „ = 1,080 „ „ 

 I ,, = 36 „ 



I Ch6=99i7'355 sq. m.=i Hectare nearly ; more exactly 120 Ch6=ii9 Ha. 

 I Are=3o-25 Tsubo. i Ha=3025 Tsubo. 

 I Tatami or Japanese foot-mat=3 x6 Shaku=^ Tsubo. 

 A single rice-field is generally i Tan=i5 X20 Tsubo. 



5. Measure of Capacity. Yox its unit is taken the Sh6= 1*803907 

 liters. 



I Koku=io To=ioo Sh6= 1,000 Go=: 10,000 Shaku. 

 I „ = 10 „ = 100 „ = i,coo „ 

 I „ = 10 „ = 100 



5) 

 I „ = 10 



Hence 5 Sh6=9 liters. 



Because it was made from fish-bone. 



