chou　丁

KEY WORD :　architecture / general terms

1　The age divisions of peasants recruited by the state for labour service, building or civil/military engineering projects, such as laying out the central or provincial capitals, excavation of canals, drainage ditches and paddies, roadbuilding, etc. Such laborers were categorized into three groups: shouchou 少丁 (aged 17-20), seichou 正丁 (aged 21-60); and jichou 次丁 (aged 60-65). The details of labour service are itemized in the civil law chapters ryou 令 of the law codes ritsuryou 律令 first published in 689. 2　Essentially synonymous with chou meaning city block. In the Edo period, chou was　sometimes used to denote urban districts assigned to members of the warrior class, bushi 武士, in contradistinction to chou, which referred to areas where artisans and merchants lived. It is used today in addresses to refer to a subdivision of a ward or district. See *machi 町. 3　In the Kiso 木曾 mountains of former Shinano 信濃 province (Nagano prefecture), an alternative term for lumber which fell into the size category referred to as *nichougake 弐丁懸: less than 6.4 m long, at least 73cm wide and at least 73cm thick.

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