Japan Marks 150 Years of Meters

May 15, 2025 | News On Japan

IBARAKI, May 15, 2025 (News On Japan) - Japan’s prototypes of the kilogram and meter, which once served as national standards for weight and length, were presented to the press this week ahead of the 150th anniversary of the Meter Convention, the international treaty that standardized global measurement systems, to be marked on May 20th.

The prototypes were replicas of the international standards housed by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) in Sèvres, France, and were distributed to member countries of the treaty. Japan received its copies in 1890 during the Meiji era, officially establishing them as domestic benchmarks for measurement.

Both the kilogram and meter prototypes are now designated as Important Cultural Properties. While the meter prototype was retired following the adoption of light wavelength as the international standard for length, the kilogram prototype continues to be used alongside newer definitions based on physical constants.

Takashi Usuda, Director of the National Metrology Institute of Japan at AIST, stated, "The metric system has supported the world as a 'universal language' for determining all things. I hope the 150th anniversary will prompt reflection on its enduring significance."

The Meter Convention was signed in 1875 by 17 countries with the goal of standardizing measurement systems across nations. Japan joined the treaty in 1885.

Source: 産経ニュース

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