Yes, now that I recall, I believe this was a very popular topic in Japan a few years ago (I wasn't in Japan to see it first hand). It was referred to as "India-

Yes, now that I recall, I believe this was a very popular topic in Japan a few years ago (I wasn't in Japan to see it first hand). It was referred to as "India-style multiplication," and some guy(s) sold millions of instructional books. http://math.hoge2.info/kakezan/pr04.html http://math.hoge2.info/kakezan/pr04.html However, don't think it involves the drawing of lines like in the post.