貫かん

noun

kan (old unit of weight, about 3.75 kg)

Historical unit of weight used in Japan until the early 20th century. One kan equals 1000 monme (匁), approximately 3.75 kg or 8.3 lb.

• 江え戸ど時じ代だい、米こめ一いっ俵ぴょうは四よん貫かん目めだった。

  In the Edo period, one bale of rice weighed four kan.

noun

kan (old unit of currency)

Historical currency unit. In the Edo period, one kan was equivalent to 1000 mon (文). In the early Meiji period, it was briefly redefined as 10 mon.

• あの店みせののれん代だいは百ひゃっ貫かん文もんだったそうだ。

  I heard the goodwill of that shop cost 100 kan.

counter

counter for pieces of sushi

Used in sushi restaurants to count individual pieces of nigiri or maki. One piece is 一貫 (いっかん).

• まぐろを二に貫かんください。

  Two pieces of tuna, please.

noun

10 or 12 points (in hanafuda)

In hanafuda, a scoring unit. Depending on the specific game or regional rules, one kan may equal 10 points or 12 points. Often used in expressions like 貫を取る.

• 花はな札ふだで、五ご光こうを取とると十じっ貫かんになる。

  In hanafuda, getting the Five Brights gives you ten kan.