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koku

A measure of volume or capacity, used generally for rice but sometimes for other dry substances and liquids as well. In the Edo period (1600-1868), a koku of grain equaled about 0.18 cubic meters, 180.39 liters, or 5.12 US bushels, theoretically enough rice to feed one person for a year. Land productivity, tax assessments, the stipends of samurai, and the wealth of daimyo were all measured in koku. (adapted from Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia. Tokyo: Kodansha, 1993)

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