Have you ever wondered how fire fighters used to fight fires during the Edo period? The Gregg students found it out today while we visited Tokyo Fire Department Museum in Yotsuya. The correct answer is as follows. They demolished neighboring buildings to prevent fire from spreading. They could accomplish this with a special tool which looks like a letter ‘Y’ on a long pole.

Our students were able to learn about the fire fighting methods from the Edo and Meiji periods to modern times as well as to see the tools they used. Fire trucks, horse drawn pumps, a water ‘dragon’ pump, and three helicopters were among the wonderful exhibits we could see. We started the day with seventeen students, but finished with seventeen junior firefighters! What a great day we had!