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Fires and Recoveries Witnessed by the Dutch in Edo and Nagasaki: The Great Fire of Meireki in 1657 and the Great Fire of Kanbun in 1663

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 January 2014

Matsukata Fuyuko
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Extract

Kaji to kenka ha Edo no hana (Fires and fights are the highlights of Edo) is a famous phrase to illustrate that fires plagued the city of Edo (now known as Tokyo) during the Tokugawa period (1603–1868). Fires seem to have been considered not only terrible disasters, but also a symbol of a busy, active metropolis. The same is true in other early-modern Japanese cities, particularly those facing the Pacific Ocean or the East China Sea, such as Nagasaki.

The geographical setting of these two cities, among others, is one of four factors that contributed to many of the fires in Japan. The winter monsoon from the north or northwest caused by the Siberia anticyclone is steady and powerful from December to February, and the first summer monsoon from the south, called haru ichiban (the first wind of spring) in March or April is also quite strong. During these months, the combination of dry air, strong winds, and individual fires set to keep homes warm create fire hazard conditions. Even today, the season when most fires occur is winter.

As Edo lies in the center of the Kanto plain, there is nothing to prevent strong winds. Between 1601 and 1867, there were 1,798 fires in Edo, including 49 large fires, whereas Osaka experienced only six large fires and Kyoto nine. Although it is open to the sea on the south-west, Nagasaki is surrounded by mountains, so the winds blow from the north-east to the south-west. There were smaller fires in Nagasaki, which is a smaller city than Edo, but the number of incidents was still high. Nagasaki suffered from 232 fires during the period 1633–1868, including those that occurred in suburban areas.

Type
Urban and Cultural Life
Information
Itinerario , Volume 37 , Issue 3: Special Issue: Canton and Nagasaki Compared , December 2013 , pp. 172 - 187
Copyright
Copyright © Research Institute for History, Leiden University 2013 

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