Throughout the history of Japan, the fires were among the main threats: not only because the traditional Japanese houses were built from flammable materials (wood, bamboo, straw and paper), but since the houses were built close to each other, the fire was quickly spreading to adjacent buildings. That’s why, during the Edo period, each neighborhood had its own fire lookout tower (Hinomi-yagura), which was usually the tallest construction in the area. From above, the firemen were able to see a large area, sounding the alarm with a bell…
Today, these towers can be seen only in museums, and I was happy to find this one on the street from Boso no Mura Open Air Museum. It is the simplest version, actually just a 7 meters tall ladder, without any platform, just with the alarm bell… I wonder how the fireman was standing up there…
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Yesterday’s Japan Photo:Japanese superlatives, Totekiko, the smallest Japanese Zen rock garden |
