Fire-fighting in Japan

During the Edo Period (1600s to the mid-19th Century) Japan enjoyed peace and prosperity. This was reflected in fire-fighters’ protective clothing.

Utilitarian clothes that protected the wearer while they were putting out the fires that could easily spread across the tightly-packed wooden buildings of towns and cities were an important part of a fire fighter’s gear. These garments – hikeshi banten – were made of cotton, thickly quilted and dyed with indigo, but inside the jackets elaborate scenes were painted on the linings.

The coats were reversible. While the fire was blazing and the team fighting it was pulling down the blazing building, the indigo side with the brigade’s name visible was worn. Once the fire was out the coats were turned inside-out so that the interior image would be seen. These richly decorated scenes were worn with pride and honour, a visible symbol of the wearer’s courage, selflessness and bravery.

See more:

A collection of images of the interiors of cloaks

A fireman’s jacket in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection (the picture on this page is taken from this site)

Hikeshi banten in the V&A, London