Toothpaste sales - hamigauri

Japanese: 歯磨売 - はみがきうり

In the early modern period, toothpaste was sold at small goods stores, but in Edo, there were people who carried a small box with a drawer in one hand and sold only toothpaste while performing various tricks. In "Chirizukadan," it is written that "A bag of toothpaste sells six or eight mon. One bag is used for one or two months, so there are many stores selling it, and several stores are famous for the product. However, there must be several hundred people selling it." Toothpaste sellers walked around hawking slogans such as "Plum blossoms are scattered, toothpaste is poured into the entire mouth, baiko-san" ("Ukiyo-furo") and "Ichikawa Danjuro Honke, please ask for toothpaste. It's only eight mon, and your toothpaste costs 32 mon" ("Ganbutsu Hashi Uta Dansho").

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

歯磨粉は近世には小間物屋で売られていたが，江戸には引出しのついた小箱を片手にさげてさまざまな芸を見せながら歯磨粉だけを売り歩く者がいた。《塵塚談》には〈歯磨売り一袋六文八文なり。一袋を一ヶ月二ヶ月も用ゆる物なるに，売店夥しく，名産も数軒あるなり。然るに売り廻る者数百人有るべし〉とある。歯磨売は〈梅紅散くすり歯磨口中一切，ばいこうさん〉(《浮世風呂》)とか〈市川団十郎本家はみがきおもとめなさい。わずか八文，おんはこづめが三十二文〉(《合物端歌弾初》)といった売り声をたてて売り歩いた。

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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