Furisode Fire Day

January 18th annually is Furisode Fire Day, in commemoration of the greatest fire in Japanese history, the Meireki Fire. The fire took place on the 18th day of the New Year on the lunar calendar, which is actually March 2nd on the Gregorian Calendar. That is why the Meireki fire is commemorated on two different dates. 

The reason the anniversary is called Furisode Fire Day is because of folklore associated with the fire. Legend has it that the fire was started by a furisode kimono, that had been passed down to three different girls, all of whom died before they got to wear it. Supposedly, when the priest was trying to burn the cursed furisode, it started the epic fire. 

The fire destroyed an estimated 60 to 70% of Edo, the then capital and current day Tokyo. It is estimated that more than 100,000 people died in the fire, which was potentially a quarter of the capital's population at the time. The anniversary is a reminder to be vigilant about fires, especially in the dry months of winter when fires can spread rapidly.

The feature photo is of a fire last week in a neighboring town.