An Edo period term for wooden planks
with a rectangular cross-section, between 5cm and 30cm thick. These planks were
cut into thinner timbers for use as ceiling boards, and for doors and shutters.
If a plank was 50cm wide or more and was at least 18cm thick, it was called atsu-itago
厚板子. If it was less than 42cm wide and less than 12cm thick, it was called ko-itago
小板子. The forests of Mt. Kiso, Kisodani 木曽谷; located mid-way between Tokyo and
Kyoto, about 130km from Nagoya, were a major source of itago. It is believed
that the word shishiryou 宍料 used in the Kamakura period, had
the same meaning as itago. Synonyms for itago vary according to the region
but bangi 盤木 and hiramono 平物 are among the best known.
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