Post #1528499

2026-04-20 19:20 UTC

@yaodema @neauoire agreed, tape being from Japan and those lengths, almost definitely shaku-sun-bu 1 shaku = 0.303 m 1 shaku = 0.9942 ft = 11.9 in 1 shaku = 10 sun 1 sun = 1.193 in (Japanese renovation videos, main unit is nominally 91 cm (3 shaku))

Replies (3)

@smellsofbikes@mastodon.social 2026-04-20 20:31

@cerement @yaodema @neauoire TIL "sale and verification of devices marked with non metric units... were criminalized after 1961" throughout Japan.

Open ##1528500
@DavidM_yeg@beige.party 2026-04-21 02:46

@cerement That’s fascinating, but don’t leave me hanging: how long is a bu? @neauoire @yaodema

Open ##1528501
@zdl@gamerplus.org 2026-04-22 04:18

@cerement @yaodema @neauoire I was about to answer this myself, but decided to check first. Perfect answer. So I'll add that you can have similar mishaps in China with chi-cun-fen measures (often still used in tailoring). Indeed the Imperial inch is referred to in China as literally "English cun". The shaku-sun-bu measurements were almost certainly derived from older chi-cun-fen measurements, but have diverged over time. The Mainland chi today is 33+1/3cm, IIRC, to the shaku's 30.3cm.

Open ##1528503