weighing; platform scales
Historical term for weighing goods, especially using a large platform scale. Now largely replaced by modern weighing terms, but still encountered in historical or traditional contexts.
In Edo-period markets, they weighed rice bales using platform scales.
An old platform scale is on display at this museum.
Standard kanji form for this historical weighing term.
Kana spelling is sometimes used in modern explanations or when the kanji are obscure.
The term 看貫 combines 看 (look, observe) and 貫 (a traditional unit of weight, about 3.75 kg). It originally referred to observing the weight on a scale, especially for large items. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it is associated with Edo-period commerce.