A 19th-century fireman's coat with a giant spider hovering over a Go board. This scene comes from the story of the samurai hero Minamoto Yorimitsu (948–1021). Once, when he was sick, an evil monk disguised as a large spider came to visit, and Minamoto saw through his disguise and got into a fight with the spider monk, while four of Minamoto Yorimitsu's attendants (who were playing Go at the time) jumped up and tracked the intruder to his lair. © wikimedia
Leviathan presses:
In the fire protection system of the Edo period in Japan, the samurai fire was mainly under the direct jurisdiction of the shogunate, the flag (はたもと) was responsible for the general fire fighting, and the lord was in charge of the daimyo fire (大名火消, だいみょうびけし). As a long-standing system, at most there were 10,000 firefighters, mainly because there were too many fires caused by wooden houses. For example, in the 267 years from Keicho 6 (1601) to Keio 3 (1867), there were 49 major fires and 1,798 fires, including minor fires.
Search for [Leviathan Playlist] on NetEase Cloud Music to keep up and not get lost
We have a new Leviathan Planet to keep an eye on
During the Edo period (1615-1868) in Japan, crowded living conditions and wooden buildings led to frequent fires – there is even a saying that "fires and quarrels are the flowers of Edo". In order to deal with these fires, the fire brigade is broadly divided into samurai firefighters (武家火愡びけし) and town firefighters (町火消, まちびけし) organized by civilians. But regardless of their caste, their method of extinguishing fires is the same: they first destroy the buildings around the fire to control the spread of the fire (known as the "Remove Fire Method"). Although attempts have been made to use wooden manual fire pumps (Ryu Spit Water), the limited water supply has made this more modern method of extinguishing fires impractical. Each firefighter wears a special double-faced jacket: Hikeshi-Banten, lined with the firefighter's name and decorated with symbolic motifs on the outside. These suits are made of several layers of quilted cotton, embroidered using the Sashiko technique and used in the Tsutsugaki anti-dyeing process. Before entering the fire scene, these coats are soaked in water and then worn in reverse. There is no doubt that they wore it this way to protect the dyed patterns from damage, and of course, they probably also cared about how to protect themselves, since the heroes and animals represented by these patterns would have blessed them through contact with the body while engaged in this dangerous work.
---
19th-century Japanese firefighting suit with a toad. It is teaching a spell to a robber if he promises to use it for the benefit of humanity. © wikimedia
19th-century Japanese firefighting suit pattern, a giant toad and ninja Jiraiya (じらいや). Jiraiya is a fictional character at the end of the Edo period, and he is good at using toads to cast spells. © wikimedia
The scene depicted in this pattern is famous in prints and kabuki: the samurai Tadanobu Sato (さとう ただのぶ) is ambushed by an enemy while playing Go, and he is unable to reach his weapon, so he uses the wooden table of Go to defend himself, scattering black and white chess pieces all over the ground. © wikimedia
This firefighting suit is depicted on Zhang Shun, the "white strip in the waves" from "Water Margin", who is respected in Japan for his fearlessness and courage. © wikimedia
Probably a 19th-century fireman's coat that adorns an outdoor autumn scene, including maple leaves, curtains, and taiko drums used for court dance (mairaku) performances. The jacket does not have any identification, so it is not possible to determine whether it is a firefighter's suit. © wikimedia
The scene decorated on this firefighting suit is the hero Musashibo 弁慶 (むさしぼう べんけい, a Heian period character) fighting an evil carp. © wikimedia
消防服（1878–82），饰有凤凰和树的图案。 © WikiMedia
This firefighter suit shows a winter snow scene as Kiyomasa Kato (かとうきよまさ), a hero of the Momoyama period, hunts down a tiger that has stolen his helmet. © wikimedia
一位年轻的武士面对火海。 © WikiMedia
© wikimedia
装饰有虎和龙的消防服。 © WikiMedia
A dragon on a firefighter's suit. The prototype of the dragon that exists in Japan is believed to have been introduced from China during the Yayoi period in Japan. In the Heian period, with the infiltration of the Lotus Sutra and Esoteric Buddhism, Japanese dragons gradually revealed their uniqueness. In the 9th century, there was a record of the "dragon's den" in Murokuji Temple, and it was accompanied by the practice of praying for rain. © wikimedia
© wikimedia
© wikimedia
© wikimedia
© wikimedia
© wikimedia
龙与龙珠。 © WikiMedia
文/Byrd
Translated by tamiya2
Proofreading/TIM
Original/publicdomainreview.org/collection/japanese-firemans-coats-19th-century/
This article is based on a Creative Commons license (BY-NC) and is published by tamiya2 at Leviathan
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Leviathan
Star, don't get lost
Submission email: [email protected]