ken (approx. 1.818 m)
Traditional Japanese unit of length, equal to 6 shaku. Still used in architecture and carpentry contexts.
この柱の間隔は一間です。
The spacing between these pillars is one ken.
counter for gaps between pillars
Used in traditional architecture to count the number of intercolumnar spaces.
この建物は正面が五間あります。
This building has five ken across the front.
間 is the standard, everyday term for this traditional length unit, while 本間 is a rarer variant used mainly in older architectural or land-measurement contexts.
間 is a traditional unit of length (about 1.82 m), and six 間 make up one 反 when 反 is used as a length unit.
軒 (けん) counts buildings, while 間 (けん) is a traditional unit of length (about 1.82m); they are unrelated homophones.
間 is roughly the same length as 尋 (about 1.8 m) but is used mainly for architectural spacing, whereas 尋 is used for depth or the length of ropes and lines.
human being; person; mankind · character; personality
society; the world; people; the public
traditional unit of length (approx. 1.82 m)
brow; glabella; area between the eyebrows
ceaselessness; incessancy · Avici hell; the hell of incessant suffering
one ken (approx. 1.8 m)
samurai's attendant; footman
two ken (approx. 3.6m)
large hanging paper lantern
The reading けん is the Sino-Japanese reading of 間, originally referring to a space or interval. The specific length definition developed in Japanese architectural tradition.
half a ken (approx. 0.91 m)
measuring rope with ken marks; measurement
number of ken; length in ken; breadth in ken
roppyakken (hanafuda game)
wedge-shaped stone used in stone walls; square stone narrowing at one end
useless person; hopeless case; failure
one-space jump; one-point jump