A traditional Japanese unit of length comparable to the English fathom. The ken equals 6 shaku, which is about 1.818 meters (5.965 feet). The ken is the length of a traditional tatami mat. At sea, this unit is also called the hiro
Russ Rowlett (Director), How Many? A Dictionary of Units of Measurement, Center for Mathematics and Science Education University of North Carolina, USA 2005. http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/units/dictA.html, (Unit of Meas and Covr Factors - Amer) {608}