[Japan]: at end (in trans.): “copied 1842.”

Japanese cities have always been plagued by terrible fires. Regarding Edo, “the wooden construction of all of the city and the narrow lanes of commoner quarters made fire a devastating experience, and it came sufficiently frequently to be called ‘the flowers of Edo.’ Fires were no respecters of status and rank, and when driven by winter winds in the dry season they roared through the city.…In the 268 years of Tokugawa rule, the Tosa ‘upper’ yashiki (at ‘Blacksmith Bridge’) suffered eighteen fires, and the Shiba middle residence burned twelve times. Four... More