A member of the Edo Shobo Kinenkai (Edo Firemanship Preservation Association) displays his skill atop a ladder in the New Year Firemen's Review on Tuesday at Ariake, Tokyo. (Hiroshi Chida / S&S)
A member of the Edo Shobo Kinenkai (Edo Firemanship Preservation Association) displays his skill atop a ladder in the New Year Firemen's Review on Tuesday at Ariake, Tokyo. (Hiroshi Chida / S&S)
Rescue squadrons from Tokyo's Metropolitan Fire Department parade at the Dezomeshiki. (Hiroshi Chida / S&S)
Among the guests at the "Dezomeshiki" review were John Adkins, left, fire prevention chief at Yokosuka, and D.B. Marshall, Yokosuka fire chief. (Hiroshi Chida / S&S)
The Tokyo Metropolitan Fire Department demonstrates extinguishing chemical fires using foam. (Hiroshi Chida / S&S)
Ladder trucks drop colored streamers at the closing ceremony of the review at Ariake. (Hiroshi Chida / S&S)
TOKYO — More than 130,000 spectators, including Yokosuka Naval Base fire officials, turned out Tuesday to watch 2,600 firefighters, volunteers and others take part in the Dezomeshiki — the Annual New Year Firemen’s Review.
The event was at Ariake, Koto Ward. Participating were 1,022 from the Tokyo Metropolitan Fire Department and 1,000 members of the Edo Firemanship Preservation Association. Also taking part were 225 children, 82 Japan Self-Defense Force firemen, 61 volunteers, four helicopters, six firefighting ships and 120 fire engines.
The theme for this year’s event was “Community Fire Preparedness.”
The demonstration featured an array of modern firefighting techniques as well as the Edo-era firemen’s show of performing acrobatic stunts atop tall bamboo poles.
Yokosuka Naval Base Fire Chief D.B. Marshall and Fire Prevention Chief John Adkins were among the non-Japanese guests.
Marshall called the event beautiful and fabulous. The Edo firemen stunts were his favorite part of the show, he said.
