Five generations ago, Kotaro Makino, an ancestor of the current shop owner, started dealing in stone products. The mark above the name "Makino" in the bottom left of their noren was created because the shopkeeper's ancestors were a "bunke," or branch, of the main Makino family. It is a combination of the Chinese character for "bun" and the "ko" in "Kotaro." The design is meant to represent a stone floating in empty space. The use of light and shade on the cube in a white circle makes it look three-dimensional. The shopkeeper's wife is quite happy with the design, saying "A bright-colored noren makes an old house look brilliant." This shop is the farthest one to the north in the noren community.