Kudzuya (scrap shop) - Kudzuya

Japanese: くず屋(屑屋) - くずや

In the early modern period, there were already waste paper dealers in the city of Kyoto. In the Jinrin Kinmou Zui (Illustrated Guide to the Inculcation of Humanity) published in 1690 (Genroku 3), a female waste paper dealer is depicted carrying a large cloth bag on her shoulder and a balance pole, buying up any paper she could find and selling it to a repairer (possibly a recycling company). Waste paper dealers later appeared in Osaka, Edo, and other towns, and in the late modern period it became a man's job, and they began to buy up used clothing, old copper, scrap iron, antique tools, and other items. Instead of carrying a cloth bag, they carried a large basket on their back, and the items they bought were taken over by repairers, used clothing dealers, scrap iron dealers, antique dealers, etc., and they received a commission.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

近世前期にすでに京の町には紙くず買がいた。1690年(元禄3)刊の《人倫訓蒙図彙（じんりんきんもうずい）》には，大きな布袋を肩にかけ，さおばかりを携えた女の紙くず買の姿が描かれ，紙であればなんでも買い集めて直し屋(再生処理業者か)へ売るとしてある。紙くず買はその後大坂，江戸その他の町にも現れ，近世後期には男性の仕事となり，古着，古銅，古鉄，古道具などをも買い集めるようになった。布袋にかわって大きな籠を背負い，買い集めたものはそれぞれ直し屋，古着屋，古鉄屋，古道具屋などに引き取られ，口銭をもらった。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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