Kidai Shoran (detail) © Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Museum für Asiatische Kunst (Asian Art Museum, National Museums in Berlin), former collection of Hans-Joachim and Inge Küster, gift of Manfred Bohms 2002, photography: Tadao Kodaira

25Erecting scaffolding

The wooden sign on the fence of the construction site of Kiya Kōshichi says the shop is open for business during construction in the rear storehouse. This was a familiar scene in Edo, where fires were frequent and fortunes rose and fell. The handcart is loaded with stones to support the pillars, suggesting that full-scale construction is underway. The tobi workmen sing the kiyari chant while erecting the scaffolding so that they all pull on the ropes in unison.