shu (unit of weight); 1/24 ryō
Historical unit of weight, equal to 1/24 of a ryō. Used in pre-modern Japanese measurement systems.
See also: 両
The weight of gold coins in the Edo period was often expressed in shu.
shu (currency unit); 1/16 ryō
Edo-period currency unit, worth 1/16 of a ryō. Used for gold and silver coinage.
See also: 両
The one-shu gold coin circulated as a small-denomination gold currency in the Edo period.
Alternate kanji form, less common than 朱.
The kanji 朱 originally referred to cinnabar or vermilion, but was adopted as a unit of weight and currency in historical Japanese contexts. The exact derivation is uncertain.