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284
THE WONDERFUL CITY OF TOKIO.
"With the butterflies?" slyly inquired Fitz.
They paid him a few cash and left the merry fellow shouting,
^Biwa-yo ! "
Biiva-yo !
When the party neared Asakusa, they halted before a
kami-ya (paper store), in which sat a man warming his hands
at the hibachi.
In front of the establishment were bales of paper, strongly
bound with rattan cords and from the eaves depended four
signs.
Number one bore a picture of the copper handles used on
the paper inner doors and sliding screens of the Japanese
houses, and was inscribed, *On hiki te Suhin" (all kinds
of door handles sold here).
Number two had on its sides, ^ Dai fuku chio" (cash
books), and on its front edge was ^Atsu surai" (made to
order) .
Number three read ^Atsu raion" beneath which were the
characters ^Kara kami ji" (all kinds of paper for sliding
doors) .
Number four had two vertical inscriptions, namely ^Shio-
ga-yo shi-rui" (all kinds of paper used for writing and paint-
ing), and ^ Oni te hon-sui" (all kinds of copying books).
Number five, the sloping awning which shaded the store-
keeper from the sun, bore the trade-mark and an inscription
Kami rui" (all kinds of paper). The narrow strip of white
cloth under the eaves was marked with three characters
**Saku-ya" (manufacturer's store).
Before the place was a barrel marked. "Water stored for
use in case of fire.'"
"That is a manufacturing stationer's," said Oto. "He is
well-known and does a very large business. Whatever you
buy of him is sure to be of very good quality. Let us go on,
we are close to Asakusa/'