A type of this counting device is called suan pan in Chinese & soroban in Japanese
[DOC] [TLE] Abacus - Wikipedia [PAR] The abacus (plural abaci or abacuses), also called a counting frame, is a 
calculating tool that was in use in Europe, China .... Another possible source of 
the suanpan is Chinese counting rods, which operated with a decimal system but 
lacked the concept of zero ...