The kanji character 升 primarily means a traditional Japanese measuring box used for measuring volume, especially for rice or sake, as well as the unit of capacity itself.

The readings for this kanji character are: ・On-yomi (音読み): しょう ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): ます

Here are some typical examples of how this kanji is used in modern Japanese. ⚫︎一升 Translation: One sho (a traditional unit of volume equivalent to about 1.8 liters) ⚫︎一升瓶 Translation: A one-sho bottle (a large glass bottle typically used for sake or soy sauce) ⚫︎升目 Translation: Grid squares or check patterns

If your native language is Vietnamese, this kanji shares its origin with the Sino-Vietnamese (漢越語) vocabulary thăng.

The kanji character 升 originally depicted a picture of a long-handled ladle or measuring tool used in ancient times to scoop and measure grain.