Keywords
Architecture
Measurement
Lit. "small shaku 尺." An ancient unit of length. Introduced in the Taihōryō 大宝令 codes of 701, it measured 29.6 cm, but was then scaled down to approximately 25.25 cm in 713. It was known as small shaku in comparison with the large shaku *taishaku 大尺 of 30.3 cm. The shōshaku was shorter than the *kanejaku 曲尺, which later became the standard measure of length.