I have heard Jinrikisha Hornpipe (sometimes just called Jinrikisha) infrequently, but for quite a while, and I’ve always thought it was a cool tune – especially the B Part. It has this really cool pattern where the melody is playing a pattern of 3 while the meter of the song is in 4. You will definitely recognize it when you listen to me play it.
I read through it a few weeks back when I was doing one of my reads through some tunes in Cole’s 1000 fiddle tunes. If you haven’t noticed yet, I think that Cole’s 1000 fiddle tunes is a great resource for finding obscure fiddle tunes, and sometimes the roots of less obscure tunes. Before I saw the name spelled out, I thought it might have been Gin Rickshaw, but I was very wrong. 
I was inspired to go ahead and work it up when I judged the Strasburg Hometown Days Fiddle Contest this last weekend, and Dani McCurdy really played this tune great! Enjoy!
UPDATE: Facebook Comment from Akiyasu Sumi
Hi Vi wickam about Jinrikisya meaning.
The meaning of “Jinrikisha” is an old taxi peculiar to Japan. Means a person picks up a person and pulls it, and to move. It is used now at a sightseeing spot. This music feels like a jinrikisha running. An other Irish fiddle tune has called ” Japanese hornpipe”, I thinks that composer can touch Japanese culture for the first time and is impressed and made music.
- Japanese Jin = person, man
- Japanese riki=power,energy
- Japanese sya=car,wheel,caster
- so man power wheel like that, its good for earth(no co2);)
Jinrikisha according to Fiddler’s Companion
JINRIKISHA. See related tune “Constitution Hornpipe.” American, Hornpipe. D Major. Standard tuning. AABB. A jinrikisha is “a light two-wheeled hooded vehicle, drawn by one or more men. Shortened colloq. To rickshaw” [Oxford Dictionary]. ‘A’ part is the same as that of “Constitution Hornpipe” and an untitled Pennsylvania collected reel in F major in Bayard (Dance to the Fiddle), 1981, No. 138, pg. 75. Cole (1000 Fiddle Tunes), 1940; pg. 92. Ryan’s Mammoth Collection, 1883; pg. 125.
