In Ono City, Japan, great fires broke out eight times during an approximate two hundred-year period from the Edo (1603-1868) to Meiji (1868-1912) periods. I believe that people lost hope many times because of these repeated events. Even with the progress of civilization, disasters continue to occur now.
Ono City fire drills are held on April 8 every year. Knowing the past of a land also means knowing the future of it.
福井県大野市では、江戸時代中期から明治時代中期までの約二百年間に八度も大火が起こりました。この繰り返し起こった出来事に、人々は何度も希望を失ったと思います。文明が進歩した現在でさえも災害は起こり続けています。
毎年４月８日になると大野市消防訓練が行われます。土地の過去を知ることは、未来を知ることでもあります。
Exhibition view
会場風景
Exhibition view
会場風景
Since ancient times, Japan has been a country with many fires. This land, Ono, also suffered great fires.
Around 7 AM on April 8, 1775, a fire broke out from Noguchi Village, the current second uppermost area of the residence of Tarobe, due to the foehn effect, a strong dry warm current of wind blew down from the southeast to Ono in the intermount basin.
日本は昔から火事が多い国である。この地、大野も度々大火に見舞われた。安永四年四月八日午前七時頃、野口村、現在の二番上の太郎兵衛宅から出火、強い南東の風が山間の盆地にフェーン現象として乾燥した温風を大野に吹き下ろした。
Cartoon on paper
紙に漫画
The flames ran through the land near the castle and spread from the samurai residences to Ono Castle, and the sparks rose to the summit, burning the castle tower. The castle town continued to burn for a whole day and night, and the victims of the fire were struck speechless and could do nothing but put straw mats on bamboo poles in the paddy fields in the rain.
炎は城下を駆け抜け武家屋敷から大野城内に延焼、火の粉は山頂にまで舞い上がり天守閣をも焼き尽くした。城下町は丸一昼夜燃え続け被災者は雨の中たんぼで竹竿に筵を張り、只、唖然として手の付けようがなかった。
Stained glass, Cartoon on paper
ステンドグラス、紙に漫画
In addition to Ono Castle inner citadel and armory, 1075 private residences in the town, 230 houses, 280 storehouse, 26 temples burned to the ground, 2 persons died, and 80% of Nakano Village was destroyed by the fire.
The land was hit by great fires eight times over the course of approximately two hundred years from the mid-Edo period to the mid-Meiji era.
大野城御本丸武器庫をはじめ、町にて民家一○七五戸、御家中二三○戸、土蔵二八〇棟、寺院二六寺全焼、死者二名、中野村八割焼失。この地は江戸時代中期から明治時代中期まで約二○○年間で八度も大火に見舞われた。
Cartoon on paper
紙に漫画
In the Meiji (1868) era, machines came from foreign countries. With the spread of hand pump vehicles to extinguish fires, the water discharge capacity improved dramatically. The steam pump was also invented. We subsequently entered the age of engines.
明治時代になり異国から機械がやって来た。腕用ポンプ車が普及して放水の能力は飛躍的に向上した。そして、蒸気ポンプの発明。その後、エンジンの時代に移った。
Cartoon on paper
紙に漫画
© Koichi Matsufuji, All rights reserved