Although they are referred to as merchants, they are similar to the cooperatives formed for ceremonial occasions such as scaffolding men or carpenters, and are part of the mutual assistance known as jisha fushin (to making efforts for the construction of temples and shrines), were not paid but rather given money as a gift.
商売人といっても、祭礼時などは町鳶、町大工などの冠婚葬祭の互助活動と同じで、いわゆる寺社普請と呼ばれる相互扶助の一環でもあり、支払われるお金も代金ではなく祝儀不祝儀であるともいえる。