A Comparison of Craftsmanship: Carriage Maker 諸工職業競 諸車製造之図

A common sight in Tokyo and other cities in the process of “civilization and enlightenment,” as they modernized and adopted Western technology, was the rickshaw. This new means of transportation, whose Japanese name, jinrikisha, means “human-powered vehicle,” consists basically of a seat atop of a pair of wheels, pulled by a man in front. This polychrome print shows us the rickshaw shop of Akiba Daisuke, who was well known at the time for making and selling rickshaws. The sign on the left displays the name of the store. This rickshaw shop was located quite near today’s Ginza 4-chome intersection. As the pillars and walls shown in the print make clear, the shop was built of brick. This print is, thus, a view of “Ginza Bricktown,” an area rebuilt by the government in a Westernized style after a major fire broke out in 1872. Look closely and you will see the back of a rickshaw carriage with a lavish design in maki-e lacquer applied to it. The design is a crane, an auspicious bird, and the large black side panel about to be applied to the carriage has “A big hit” written in large characters on it. In early Meiji, rickshaw makers competed to produce such extravagant designs, so much so that elaborately decorated rickshaws were eventually prohibited for being too showy. From then on, lavish rickshaws were made for export only. The rickshaw became emblematic of changing customs in the age of civilization and enlightenment, but did not acquire that status immediately. Tokyo prefecture had granted permission to build rickshaws and operate them in 1870, but they did not attract much attention initially. Then, however, someone had the idea of placing rickshaws beneath the official notice board at Nihonbashi, a bustling central location, and having them zip down the streets there. That advertising ploy produced a big hit. In almost no time, the rickshaw spread throughout Tokyo and throughout Japan.