Online dictionary of history and traditions in Japan: Koku

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French version

Koku

石石高
keywords: law
related topics: Edo period , Daimyo , Toyotomi Hideyoshi
explanation: Old unit to measure the volume of cereals or liquid. 1 koku is about 180 L and it is a merit of Toyotomi Hideyoshi to give a precise definition of this unit. An adult consumes about 1 koku of rice in a year. The rice being the principal food of Japanese, this unit was especially used to quantify the wealth of seigniors (daimyo). For example, Tokugawa shogun owned 8 million koku corresponding to 1 quarter of Japanese rice production at the beginning of Edo period.