It was about 4pm when I got the call. I was sitting in a cafe in Ginza with an old friend of mine, talking about the ups and downs of 2009.
"Moshi moshi? Josefu-san desu ka?"
I didn't recognise the number or the voice.
"Hai, Josefu desu..."
It turned out to be a local community leader. I'd met him about a year ago when I attended a meeting to discuss the park next to our house. Having gone to the trouble to learn Japanese I thought it only right to get to know the locals.
"I was wondering if you'd like to take part in the fire patrol tonight? It's not something you'd normally have the chance to do..."
Ha! This was something I'd always wanted to experience, every since I'd first heard the fire patrol back in 2003 when I lived in a guest house in Asagaya.
With the nights as cold as they are and Japanese houses having such minimal (or no) insulation, most people use freestanding heaters to stop them getting frostbite in the house. Traditionally, these are kerosene powered - not exactly the safest form of heater.
Patrols in our area were started about 15 years ago following a big fire just down the road. The idea is to remind people to be careful with their heaters.
Every December a group of volunteers walk the streets between 9pm and 10pm, banging two blocks of wood together (known as 'hyoushigi' 拍子木) in a set rhythm, and shout 'Hi no youjin" (火の用心) which literally means "Fire caution".
I made a recording of us doing it tonight and uploaded it to my Twitter stream - you can listen to it at
twitter.com/tamegoeswild/status/7090424149
I decided wifey (*Twinkle*) needed to experience this too, and so just before 9pm took her along to the little hut on the other side of the park. Sliding back the door we were greeted by My. Komiya (the chap who'd phoned me), 5 other men in their 60s, and two ladies in their 60s serving us hot sake (rice wine) and sweets.
We sat around the little table chatting for a while whilst half of the volunteers started the patrol, then when they returned prepared for our turn. I was given The Red Baton to wave (Woooo! Another dream come true - I got to wave a red baton on the streets of Tokyo!) - another chap took the hyoushigi, and another a little lantern with 'Hi no youjin' written on it in stylized calligraphy. We then set out on a 30-minute route around the northern half of 6-chome.
A few times along the route people stuck their heads out of doors and said 'arigatougozaimasu!' or 'gokurosama' (Thankyou / thanks for your help).
Half an hour later we were back at the hut, where we handed back over to the other group and set about tucking into more snacks and hot sake.
It was really interesting talking with these men. Many of them had been in the area for decades. Two of them had daughters who had married abroad (we talked quite a bit about international marriage etc), another had worked for a big German bank in Chelsea, London.
We talked about all sorts of things, including charcoal making (something I've done as a volunteer in Tochigi prefecture), and the problems of wild monkeys and wild boar on farms in Chiba.
Sitting there, I once again felt that immense happiness I sometimes feel when in a situation that, had I not learnt Japanese, I couldn't have been a part of. It was all worth it - all the time, effort and money spent at university was worth it ...just so that I could talk monkeys with these retired men.
When the second patrol returned they handed over the equipment - this time I was given the 'hyoushigi' (wooden blocks). However, having drunk quite a bit of sake I kept on forgetting to do the second set of bangs, and when I was banging I was banging too hard! After five minutes, I turned to our leader and said 「プロに任せます！」(I'll leave it to the pro!) and handed him the blocks. I was happier carrying a lantern!
As we walked we talked about life in Japan, and the changes in the area over the past 40 years. They asked where we lived and we made a special detour to right outside our front door so that *Twinkle* could hear us (she'd had to go home after the first patrol).
Finally, we returned to the little hut, and did a last bang and call of "Hi no youjin!", followed by おつかれさまです！(as said at the end of the workday).
All in all, it was a great experience. It's good to give back a little when you can, and feel a part of the community.
Is Japan the only place that has these fire patrols?
Joseph
