5o8 TRADE AND COMMERCE. 



The Go contains therefore i8o cm. ; the Koku, which is mostly 

 used in measuring grain, while Sho and Go are used for liquids, 

 equals i8o hi. = 5 bushels, reckoning the bushel at 36 liters. 



The Sho was introduced in the year 1623. Its inner dimensions 

 are 4" C)"y.4' 9'"X2'' "]'" Japanese measure. The government 

 ordains that the Go shall be a stout wooden box with a square 

 bottom, its upper edges covered with sheet iron and its cubic con- 

 tents to be 2'\ X2*i X i'47 Sun. Only such measures are allowed 

 in business as bear the legal stamp burned into each of their four 

 visible outer faces. 



6. Weight. The unit of weight is called Momme (Monme), i.e, 

 the Mon-weight, so designated because the smallest iron coin, 

 Mon,^ used to be taken as the basis of weight. One Mon-me (pro- 

 nounce Momme) = 37565i2 grammes; hence i gr.=o*266204 

 Momme. The Japanese system of weights based hereupon is as 

 follows : — 



I Kwam-me^=io Hiyaku-me=ioo Ju-me=i,ooo Mon-me =10,000 Fun= 

 100,000 Rin= 1,000,000 Mo. I Hiyaku-me=io Ju-me=ioo Mon-me= 1,000 

 Fun=: 10,000 Rin= 100,000 Mo. i Ju-me=io Mon-me=ioo Fun=:i,ooo Rin 

 = 10,000 Mo, I Mon-me=io Fun=ioo Rin=i,ooo Mo. i Fun=io Rin=: 

 100 Mo. I Rin=io Mo. 



The Chinese Pikul=ioo Catties or i Hiyak'kin (100 Kin)=6o'io4 kg. ; 10 

 Pikuls=i Sen-gin (1,000 Kin)=6oro4 kg. 



6j Kin=i Kwam-me, i Kwam-me=:37565i2 kg. A Japanese pound or 

 Kin=i6o Momme=:6oi '04336 gr. 10 Kia = 6'oio4 kg., so that 5 Japanese 

 pounds are to be taken to -equal 6 German pounds. 



The old Chinese subdivision of the pound has kept its place in 

 the apothecaries' weight of Japan. According to it, i Kin = 16 

 Rio or Riyo, i Riy6 = 4 Bun or Bu, i Bu = 4 Shu. 



The word Shu designates among the Chinese a sort of Sorghum 

 (Sorghum rubrum), Jap. Kuro-kibi, i.e. "black millet," whose dark 

 brown seeds are somewhat pointed on both sides, and are dis- 

 tinguished for singular uniformity. Such a Shu-grain became, 

 4,500 years ago in China, the basis not merely of weight, but of all 

 measures in general, even measures of sound. ^ 



2, Further Means of Intercourse. 



All kinds of limitations were added to the natural hindrances of 

 commerce under the long dynasty of the Tokugawa. These were 

 imposed by the system of government upon the people, and were 



^ To the Mon corresponds the Chinese Tsien, called Mace by foreigners, 

 ioMace=i Tael, 10 Tael=i Catty, 10 Catties=i Pikul. The Chinese Kin 

 or pound went over to the Japanese unaltered, though the latter have another 

 pound of 180 Momme besides. 



2 Properly Kuwan-me, pronounced Kamme. 



3 For further information on this point, see the above cited treatise by G. 

 Wagener, in the " Mittheilungen der deutschen Gesellschaft Ostasiens." 



