File:YokohamaFireBrigadeAtheletics.jpg

"Exhibition of Fire Brigade Atheletics, Streets of Yokohama, Japan."

Scanned from period stereo view, c. 1900

Text on reverse:

EXHIBITION OF FIRE BRIGADE ATHLETICS, YOKOHAMA, JAPAN.

Fires were formerly so common in Japan's wood and paper cities that the nickname of "Yeddo Blossom" was applied to the flames which in winter almost nightly lit up the metropolis with lurid splendor. So completely did this destructive agency establish itself as a national scourge that a whole vocabulary grew up to express every shade of meaning in matters firey. The Japanses language has special terms for an incendiary fire (tsuke bi), and accidental fire (soso bi), fire starting in one's own house (jikwa), a fire caught from next door (morai bi), a fire shared with others (raisho), anything that may cause a fire, as a brazier (hinomoto), a visit of condolence after a fire (kwaji-mimai) and so on.

Oooka, the Japanese Solomon, mayor and judge of Tokyo early in the 18th century, organized the first fire brigade in Japan. Since his time fire engines of European make have been brought into use. The number of conflagrations has been much diminished of late by the general introduction of stone and brick buildings and wider streets. On Jan. 4th the firemen parade the streets with their tall, light ladders, and give a gymnastic performance.

Public domain.

No listing of publisher, date, nor assertion of any copyright.

Unknown if first publication was in Japan or the USA; one of these tags apply:

	This media file is in the public domain in the United States. This applies to U.S. works where the copyright has expired, often because its first publication occurred prior to January 1, 1929, and if not then due to lack of notice or renewal. See this page for further explanation.
	This image might not be in the public domain outside of the United States; this especially applies in the countries and areas that do not apply the rule of the shorter term for US works, such as Canada, Mainland China (not Hong Kong or Macao), Germany, Mexico, and Switzerland. The creator and year of publication are essential information and must be provided. See Wikipedia:Public domain and Wikipedia:Copyrights for more details.

-or-

	This photograph is in the public domain in Japan because its copyright has expired according to Article 23 of the 1899 Copyright Act of Japan (English translation) and Article 2 of Supplemental Provisions of Copyright Act of 1970. This is when the photograph meets one of the following conditions: It was published before 1 January 1957. It was photographed before 1 January 1947. It is also in the public domain in the United States because its copyright in Japan expired by 1970 and was not restored by the Uruguay Round Agreements Act.
	To uploader: Please provide the source and publication date. If the photograph was also published in the United States within 30 days after publication in Japan, it might be copyrighted. If the copyright has not expired in the U.S, this file will be deleted. See Commons:Hirtle chart. This template should not be used for a faithful photographic reproduction of an artwork. Under Article 23 of the former Copyright Act, its protection will be consistent with the artwork. See also Commons:When to use the PD-Art tag. العربية ∙ čeština ∙ Deutsch ∙ English ∙ español ∙ français ∙ italiano ∙ 日本語 ∙ 한국어 ∙ македонски ∙ Bahasa Melayu ∙ português ∙ русский ∙ sicilianu ∙ Tiếng Việt ∙ 中文 ∙ 中文（简体） ∙ 中文（繁體） ∙ +/−