List of Edo's fires
The List of Edo's fires encompasses an essential aspect of urban life in the Japanese capital. There were more than 85 major fires during the history of Edo.[1]
Between 1600 and 1945, Edo/Tokyo was leveled every 25–50 years or so by fire, earthquakes, tsunami, volcanic eruptions, and war.
History
Edo was repeatedly devastated by fires, with the Great Fire of Meireki in 1657 considered to have been the most disastrous. During the Edo period there were about one hundred fires, typically started by accident and often quickly escalating to giant proportions, spreading through neighbourhoods of wooden machiya that were heated with charcoal fires.
Great fires
- 1657 The Great Fire of Meireki (明暦の大火 Meireki no taika), also known as the Furisode Fire, destroyed 60-70% of the capital city of Edo on March 2, 1657.[2] This disaster developed during the third year of the Meireki era (1655-1658). The blaze raged out-of-control for three days, and is estimated to have claimed over 100,000 lives. The fire raged for two days, on March 2–3, 1657 (Meireki 3, 18th-19th days of the 1st month); and the city was devastated.[3]
Abarenbō Shōgun (暴れん坊将軍) was a program broadcast from 1978 through 2003 on TV Asahi, a Japanese television network. This red lantern is a symbol of the Megumi firefighters who played a recurring role in this Edo period drama.
- 1772 The Great Meiwa fire (明和の大火 Meiwa no taika) was a major disaster.[1] The fire broke out on February 29, 1772 (Meiwa 9, 26th day or the 1st month). This is considered one of the three greatest Edo Fires. Unofficial reports describe a swath of ashes and cinders nearly 5 miles (8.0 km) width and 15 miles (24 km) length—destroying 178 temples and shrines, 127 daimyo residences, 878 non-official residences, 8705 houses of bannermen, and 628 blocks of merchant dwellings, with estimates of over 6,000 casualties. All this devastation subsequently engendered the staggering costs of reconstruction.[4]
- 1806 The Great Bunka fire (文化の大火 Bunka no taika) was a severe fire which broke out in Edo during the third year of the Bunka era.[1]
Select list of major fires
This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.
- 1668 : A major fire broke out in Edo on March 3, 1668 (Kanbun 8, 1st day of the 2nd month). This disaster was attributed to arson; and the fire burned for 45 days.[5]
- 1682 A significant fire burned controllably in the city on February 5, 1682 (Tenna 1, 28th day of the 12th month).[6]
- 1697 (Genroku 10): This was called the fire of the tenth year of Genroku.[6]
See also: Fires in Edo
See also
Notes
- 1 2 3 Iwao, Seiichi et al. (2002). Dictionnaire historique du Japon, p. 507.
- ↑ Blusse, Leonard & Cynthia Vaillé (2005). The Desjima Dagregisters, Volume XII 1650-1660. Leiden
- ↑ Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Annales des empereurs du japon, p. 413.
- ↑ Hall, John Whitney. (1955). Tanuma Okitsugu, 1719-1788: Forerunner of Modern Japan, p. 120.
- ↑ Titsingh, p. 414.
- 1 2 Titsingh, p. 415.
References
- Hall, John Whitney. (1955). Tanuma Okitsugu, 1719-1788: Forerunner of Modern Japan. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. OCLC 445621
- (French) Iwao, Seiichi, Teizō Iyanaga et Susumu Ishii. (2002). Dictionnaire historique du Japon. Paris: Maisonneuve & Larose. ISBN 978-2-7068-1575-1; OCLC 51096469
- Screech, Timon. (2006). Secret Memoirs of the Shoguns: Isaac Titsingh and Japan, 1779-1822. London: RoutledgeCurzon. ISBN 0-7007-1720-X (cloth); ISBN 978-0-7007-1720-0 (cloth); ISBN 978-0-203-09985-8 (electronic)
- (French) Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Annales des empereurs du Japon. Paris: Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. OCLC 251800045; see also Imprimerie Royale de France, OCLC 311322353
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