The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-19
JAPANESE STREET PEDDLERs
Strolling Medicine Men, Repairer of Bamboo Pipes, Etc.

From the Japan Advertiser.
 Passing and repassing through the streets of Tokio are vendors Of every description. Early in the morning ones slumber is disturbed by their plaintive cries, and should the window of the
 house look upon a thoroughfare, there may be seen through the sudari count less procession of hawkers, but they do not need to be seen to be recognized, for their characteristic cries echo and re-echo from morning until night.
 Take the oichini for instance, the strolling medicine vender. Often he is a musician with a tuneful accordion. En- vious glances may be cast at his red and white epaulettes, his uniform and his cap. Many youth might consider in the height of ambition to be able to go about the city in just the same man ner and win smiles from all the young women in the streets through which he passes. But the oichini has all he can do to make his daily bread, and his lot
 is often very hard indeed
 The center for the distribution of this medicine Is at the merchants house, which is situated on the little island or Tsukiii. Tsukipima. The applicant who wishes to become a travelling apothecary must pay yen as guarantee to pc faithful to the master. The next day ne is given a cap, suit of, clothes and pair of shoes. In addition he receives medicine to the value of yen, and hls breakfast is supplied every morning. For his other meals he must shirt TOT nim- self and eat them in whatever part or Tolr;o he finds himself when he becomes hungry. ... All the vendors must assemble at the masters house in the morning ana pc ready to start out by O'CLOCK TOT the S08 streets of Tokio. The oichini sings a song which has for conclusion the expression oichini or one, two' Keep
 jng step to the music of an accorolon and walking stately and slowly. when ever the street gamins hear this song they run after the oichini, just as the rats ran after the mad piper or Haeiin.
 His song is an advertisement or his medicine. It is difficult to learn and often takes several days before the vendor can master it. If he Is not success at singing the song he Will pc of no account as a vendor for the secret of his popularity lies in his rendering or the peculiar melody.
 when you hear the Ra-uya, or repairer of bamboo pipes, in the neighborhood, 1t seems as though miniature locomotive was letting off steam, for one peculiarity of the Ra-uya's trade is a cart which has in it little furnace, steam vent over which the pipe is placed to clean 1t thor oughly on the inside and also through the roof of the cart steam whistle.
 For the privilege of pushing his cart through the streets the Ra-uyt must pay
 three yen a year as tax. It takes long apprenticeship to know all the tricks of
 the trade and no one who is not accus- toned to this kind of mending can be a
 success. The number of Ra-uya is stead fly orf- the decrease, perhaps because there are fewer and fewer old fashioned people now who use this kind of pipe. In the old Yedo days the trade was a brisk one and the Ra-uya ran through the streets, two baskets slung at the ends of a pole across his shoulders and his cry was a most familiar one. Now he Is minus the baskets and the cry, but the cart and the steam whistle have taken their place. Then. too, so many people today smoke cigars and cigarettes that the Ra-uya finds his old bamboo pipes few and far between. According to sta
 tistics those who use the pipe have fallen eff considerably and the menders have
 decreased one-half in the past 10 years. | It is a sad commentary on the passing of many old style people.
 | In Tokio thero are about 15 merchants l who sell the bamboo for the pipes, and
 the Chinese bamboo is considered the