kokun.
/ˈkəʊkuː/ a. A Japanese unit of capacity equal to ten to, used for liquids and solids (esp. of rice as a monetary measure); equivalent to approximately 39·7 gallons (180 litres) or 4·96 bushels.
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the world > relative properties > measurement > the scientific measurement of volume > measure(s) of capacity > [noun] > specific liquid or dry units > Japanese units
koku1727
to1871
sho1876
1727 J. G. Scheuchzer tr. E. Kæmpfer Hist. Japan I. ii. v. 199 The Emperor..order'd, that three koku's of rice should be given, or lent to any family, that stood in need of it.
1871 A. B. Mitford Tales Old Japan I. 96 His revenue of eight million kokus reverted to the Government.
1871 A. B. Mitford Tales Old Japan I. 96 The koku of rice, in which all revenue is calculated, is of varying value.
1892 R. Kipling Lett. of Trav. (1920) 42 Five Japanese dollars (fifteen shillings) per koku of 330 lbs.
1896 L. Hearn Kokoro x. 170 The seat of a daimyō of three hundred thousand koku.
1904 Daily Chron. 30 Mar. 4/5 Jeyas..reduced the civil list to 9,000 kokus, or 44,500 bushels of rice, which was the way then that revenue was paid.
1931 G. B. Sansom Japan ii. viii. 168 Any who could produce from the new fields one thousand koku of rice were promised lifelong immunity to tax.
1938 D. T. Suzuki Zen Buddhism & Infl. Japanese Culture i. vii. 153 Hideyoshi gave him three thousand koku of rice for his service to him as tea-master.
b. A Japanese unit of capacity equal to ten cubic shaku, used for vessels; equivalent to approximately 9·8 cubic feet (0·278 cubic metres).
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the world > relative properties > measurement > the scientific measurement of volume > measure(s) of capacity > [noun] > unit of capacity of ship
ton1379
koku1911
1911 Encycl. Brit. XV. 193/1 Any vessel having a capacity of more than 500 koku (150 tons).
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1976; most recently modified version published online June 2021).
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