Keywords
Architecture
Measurement
An ancient unit of length which was imported from the Korean kingdom of Koguryo (Jp: Kōkuri 高句麗), equivalent to approximately 35.6 cm. Used in Japan in the Asuka and early Nara periods, briefly renamed *taishaku 大尺 in the Taihōryō 大宝令 codes of 701, it was annulled in 713. The komajaku was the standard measure used in the construction of several buildings at Hōryūji 法隆寺 (completed 607). It was 1.17 times larger than the *kanejaku 曲尺, which later became the standard unit of length.