Why I’d Be an Edo Period Firefighter in Japan

If I had lived in Japan during the Edo period, I would have loved to become a firefighter—not for the reasons you might assume. Just last week, when Hiromi and I visited Takayama, we explored one of the must-see museums that, surprisingly, I had overlooked despite visiting Takayama several times before: the Takayama Jinya.

In fact, I believe this museum is the best one I have visited so far in all of Japan! Of course, that statement should be taken with a grain of salt since I haven’t explored all of Japan’s museums to support such a bold claim. Nevertheless, visiting Takayama Jinya is definitely worth it for anyone wanting to soak up some fantastic Edo period history.

So, why did I want to become an Edo period firefighter? It’s a silly reason, but when we were at the museum, I saw some really cool firefighter uniforms on display, like the one in the picture below. Isn’t that a striking uniform?

What sparks your interest in Japan’s Edo period?