著者

新井,宏

出版者

日本計量史学会

雑誌

計量史研究

巻号頁・発行日

vol.37, no.1, 2015-03-10

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Large scale wooden buildings such as main halls of Buddhist temples or Shinto shrines are excellent object for estimation of the actual measure lengths, because their pillar distances reflect the modules or unit lengths. Fortunately, almost all important historical buildings were gathered in the book series of "Japanese important cultural asset (重要文化財)" published by Mainichi-newspaper in 1974-75, which appendix showed each floor plan and its main sizes. From these data, measure length were estimated statistically. The scale lengths in Japan were well known from the Nara period (Tenpyoshaku 天平尺 : 29.7 cm) to the Edo period (Kanejyaku 曲尺 : 30.3 cm with the most distributions), but it was not so clear whether the transition took place gradually or at the specific times. Therefore, first of all, the distributions of the estimated scale lengths are separately drawn from the Nara period to the Edo period. As judging from the results, the transition had happened clearly between the Nara period and the Heian period. In addition, the Kokanshaku (古韓尺 : 26.8 cm) was thought to be used in the Korean peninsula and the Japanese islands before the Nara period. The wooden buildings planed by the Kokanshaku were not remained so many but we were able to use similarly the floor plans restored from the archeological surveys. The results showed the Kokanshaku had been used subsequently to the Nara period.