CHAPTER XVII
THE RICKSHAW-MAN
"For his heart is in Japan, with its junks and Fujisan,
And its tea-houses and temples, and the smiling rickshaw-man."
We have heard of Fujisan, the famous mountain; we have talked of tea-houses
and temples; and now we must say something about the rickshaw-man or boy,
a very important person indeed in Japan. He is not important because of
riches or rank, for, as a rule, he is very poor and of the coolie order; he
is important because he is so useful. He is at one and the same time the
cabman and the cab-horse of Japan. He waits in the street with his little
carriage, and when you jump in he takes hold of the shafts himself and
trots away with you at a good speed.
The jin-ri-ki-sha, to give it its full name, means man-power carriage, and
is like a big mail-cart or perambulator. There is a hood of oiled paper to
pull up for wet weather, a cushion to sit on, a box for parcels under the
seat, two tall slight wheels, and a pair of shafts. If the rickshaw-boy is
well-to-do in his business, his carriage is gaily lacquered and painted
with bright designs, and however poor he may be, there will be some attempt
at decoration.
At night every rickshaw is furnished with a pretty paper lantern, circular
in form, about eighteen inches long, and painted in gay designs. These look
quite charming as they bob here and there through the dusk, their owners
racing along with a fare. The rickshaw is as modern as the bicycle.
Pages:
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73