noun
ri; Japanese league
Traditional unit of distance, about 3.927 km or 2.44 miles. Still used in historical contexts, place names, and some set phrases.
江戸から日本橋まで約三里の道のりだった。
It was a journey of about three ri from Edo to Nihonbashi.
noun
neighbourhood (ritsuryō system)
Historical administrative unit under the ritsuryō system, originally consisting of about 50 homes. Rare outside historical texts.
律令制下では、五十戸で一里を構成した。
Under the ritsuryō system, fifty households formed one ri (neighbourhood).
noun
unit of area (approx. 654 m × 654 m)
Historical unit of area used in the jōri system, roughly 654 meters on each side. Encountered mainly in historical geography.
See also: 条里制
条里制では、一里は約六百五十四メートル四方の区画だった。
In the jōri system, one ri was a square plot about 654 meters on each side.