Underground Fire Hydrant

 

Outside the Okunitama Shrine in Fuchu. There are others around the neighborhood.

The Shrine

After washing your hands at Okunitama Shrine, you go through another gate. See the boy in the black and silver outfit? He is wearing a haori jacket. There is a hawk on the back. He is wearing hakama trousers, too. They are dificult to see. The trousers have wide legs so they look sort of like a skirt.

This is the main building. Weddings, ceremonies for babies, and ceremonies for shichi-go-san, etc, are held here in a large washitsu, room with (grass) mats. Actually, this is where Papa and I were married, where we had ceremonies for Big Sister and Little Brother, and where they had shichi-go-san. Funerals are not held here. They are held at temples.

Here is a detail of the roof.



Money is thrown in this big wooden box before you clap your hands and pray. That is a chrysanthemum on the front.

These were set here for shichi-go-san. There is another lantern on the other side. They have the chrysanthemum crest on them, too.

This poster was near the shop. Sorry there's so much glare. The sun wasn't even out!


To the right was a small shop. A small wooden tori leads to another building. There were displays of chrysanthemums today, too.

The shop sold these things. Silk prayer pouches for different purposes. Some are for good luck. Some are for good health. Some are for safe travels. Some are for bicycle safety.



Chrysanthemum displays.

Fire hydrants. Click on the label below to see other fire hydrants.

Fortunes can be bought at that little shop. They are folded and tied here.

Those are wooden prayer plaques called enma on the right side of the picture. People write their wishes on them and hang them there.

Anniversary of the Great Kanto Earthquake 1923

On September 1, safety drills and lectures take place. It is the anniversary of the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. I had plans to stand around the fire department to take pictures of them doing drills, but it rained. They probably did them anyway, but the thought of standing in the rain and juggling a camera was too much of a drill for me. So, since I didn't get the pictures I wanted, I'm posting more pictures of fire hydrants. I have already posted some in the past. I will post other safety devices and supplies later.




This was out in the rice fields of the small town in Niigata prefecture that we visited recently. I took the picture from the car so I'm not sure how it works. It looks like a door needs to be opened to get to the spout.




This picture of a fire hydrant was taken from a window of that thatched roof house we visited near Ainokura.




These are on the streets of my neighborhood. They tell firemen where the spouts are for fire hoses. The one above is about 2 ft. x 1 ft.


This round one is about 8 in. in diameter.



In our area, September 1st is the first day of school after the summer break. As you may remember or know, new school years start in April. September 1st is a short day spent doing safety drills. Mothers or fathers meet their children at school to walk home with them. The children and teachers usually walk out of the school in their fire hoods (see April post). The children line up for the family members to meet them.

It was raining today. I left home thinking we'd do the same old thing only with umbrellas. As I arrived at the school, I heard an announcement to come inside. Other mothers had brought their slippers. I didn't! I had to walk through the school in socks. (Street shoes are left at the entrance). I was embarrassed, but I noticed some mothers (and even grandmothers!) were doing the same. No hoods today. Not even drills. I wonder if they'll be doing them on Monday.

By the way, my shoes were right where I left them. (see the August 24th post)

Fire Hydrants: Apartment

Here is a fire cistern in front of an apartment building. There is a tank of water that will be used by the fire department in case of a fire. The sign below indicates that there is fire hydrant, a water pipe that can be tapped into by the fire department.



This hydrant is to the right of the sign. It, too, is in front of an apartment building. If the azalea bushes grow more this summer, it will be hard to find!