The Scarlet Gang of Asakusa

First Sentence

EVEN NOW, right now in modern Tokyo, just like in the old Edo picture books, he's still here, it's said-the bird catcher, the copper-colored fittings on his tanned suede pouch, the pipe hanging from the agate fastener on the pouch strings, and the old-fashioned tobacco case filled with that sweet-smelling Kokubu stuff, mixed in with a few green stems to keep it from drying out-all dangling from his waist, and his white drawers, his black leggings, the white fingerless mittens, and a plain blue cotton kimono hiked up around his hips.

Subjects