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
Updated
Reader Supported
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
Reference for Citations
Duits, Kjeld (). Tokyo, 1920s: Dezome-shiki, OLD PHOTOS of JAPAN. Retrieved on July 12, 2026 (GMT) from https://www.oldphotosjapan.com/photos/685/tokyo-1920s-dezome-shiki
There are currently no comments on this article.