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70209-0003 - Japanese firefighters performing acrobatic stunts, 1900s

Yokohama, 1900s
Dezome-shiki

Artist	Unknown
Publisher	Unknown
Medium	Postcard
Period	Meiji
Location	Yokohama
Image No.	70209-0003
Purchase	Digital File
Author	Kjeld Duits

Firefighters in happi coats perform acrobatic stunts on top of bamboo ladders. The ladder stunts were the main event of Japanese New Year celebrations.

The demonstrations, called dezome-shiki, were intended to warn people of the dangers of fire, and to demonstrate the agility and courage of the firefighters.

For detailed information about fires in Japan, read Yokohama, 1890s • Dezome-shiki.

Published January 4, 2009
Updated July 28, 2021 3:06 PM

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Old Photos of Japan aims to be your personal museum for Japan's visual heritage and to bring the experiences of everyday life in old Japan to you.

To enhance our understanding of Japanese culture and society I track down, acquire, archive, and research images of everyday life, and give them context.

I share what I have found for free on this site, without ads or selling your data.

Your support helps me to continue doing so, and ensures that this exceptional visual heritage will not be lost and forgotten.

Thank you,
Kjeld Duits

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Reference for Citations

Duits, Kjeld (July 28, 2021). Yokohama, 1900s: Dezome-shiki, OLD PHOTOS of JAPAN. Retrieved on August 17, 2026 (GMT) from https://www.oldphotosjapan.com/photos/684/yokohama-1900s-dezome-shiki

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Yokohama, 1890s
Dezome-shiki

Firefighters in happi coats perform acrobatic stunts on top of bamboo ladders. The ladder stunts were the main event of Japanese New Year celebrations. The demonstrations, called dezome-shiki, were intended to warn people of the dangers of fire, and to demonstrate the agility and courage of the firefighters.

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Two women and a man in traditional clothing are sitting on zabuton cushions on tatami mats in a large room divided by fusuma sliding doors at what appears to be an inn.

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Yokohama, 1900sDezome-shiki