THE GREAT CONFLAGRATION—THE CHARITY “BENTO”
IT was on the 18th of January in the third year of the Meireki era (1657
A.D.) that a bitterly cold north wind, much colder than usual, was
blowing hard. As the wind increased in strength, the foot-passengers,
even in the busy streets, became fewer. From the hour of _ne_, or the
snake, which is the same as ten o’clock A.M. in our modern reckoning, it
had become a regular hurricane, raising clouds of dust and even whirling
pebbles into the air. It seemed as if the heavens and the earth were
creaking and shaking under the rage of it. At this juncture the people
of the city were alarmed by the repeated hasty ringing of several
fire-bells in the direction of the Hongo district, the northern part of
the city. Everybody went up to his fire-lookout and saw the ominous
black smoke rising in the shape of a vast eddying cloud over the part of
the city called Maruyama in Hongo.[31]
Footnote 31:
Hongo precinct of the Maruyama Mountain.
It happened that, a few days before, Bunzayemon, with five or six young
men and a plentiful supply of money, had gone into the mountains of the
neighboring country to buy lumber, leaving the management of his
affairs, in his absence, entirely to Chobei San.
So when Chobei hurried up to the lookout to ascertain where it was that
the fire had broken out, he glanced up to the heavens and said to
himself: “From the appearance of the sky this wind will not fall for
some time, and in all probability the whole city will be burned down,
because the houses are quite dried up by the continued fine weather we
have been having lately. This is the time to save many people, and it is
also a very good time to make a great deal of profit!”
Saying this, Chobei made for the shop and issued orders in excited haste
to the men. “Now, you men must form yourselves into two bands: one to go
straight to Fukagawa and get a huge iron pot and a quantity of rice to
be boiled, and make preparations for a charity lunch for the poor; the
other to stay here and put together all the goods in the shop that we
may transfer them without loss of time to Fukagawa.” Though the men
complained against his hasty decision to retreat before the distant
fire, they could not resist the order of the chief man in the shop, so
they reluctantly began to pack up the goods in preparation for
departure, though they thought it would only prove necessary in the end
to brush the dust and soot from off them. Seeing how they were employed,
the neighbors, too, jeered at the hurry they were in; but consternation
soon spread even among these neighbors when the sparks, carried and
fanned by the wind, had started fresh fires—one at Kanda[32] and another
at Nihonbashi, the business part of the city.
Footnote 32:
A precinct of Yedo.
By this time Chobei had already closed the shop and sent off some
valuables and some furniture on carts to Fukagawa, escorted by the men
of the shop, while he had all the timber floated down the river to the
same place, to be put with the other timber which had already been
stored there. Chobei was much delighted to find that all the
preparations for the charity luncheon for the destitute had been carried
out by those who had gone before them. “For our first work is the saving
of the people,” he exclaimed.
So saying, he engaged a few coolies to assist the men in boiling the
rice and so forth. Having wrapped the boiled rice in broad bamboo
leaves, together with pickled _daikon_,[33] he contrived a luncheon for
many thousands of the poor in no time.
Footnote 33:
Large white radishes.
The stronger the wind grew the farther the fire spread: it devastated
the city with such rapidity that noontide of that day saw even the
districts of Hachobori and Shiba reduced to heaps of smoldering ashes.
Those who were burned out had not had time to put away their furniture,
but only escaped with their lives, and were seeking in vain to find
shelter in the houses of their relatives, who had suffered a like fate
with them and could not assist them. Not knowing where to turn, they
wandered about in terror the whole day, and their misery was such that
they could not even get themselves food.
While this was the state of things, a band of coolies came among them
with a rectangular bamboo basket with _bento_[34] in it, and one of them
held aloft a paper flag with huge characters on it, which read as
follows: “Kinokuniya Bunzayemon’s Charity Luncheon!”
Footnote 34:
Luncheon.
The coolies distributed this _bento_ among the men and women who were in
distress. Every man and woman, therefore, whether young or old, who was
sore oppressed by hunger, was glad to get hold of this food and was
relieved by it, though it was only for a time. With admirable sagacity
Chobei quickly hired many more coolies and prepared more luncheons,
sending them to every quarter of the city; and so wherever men went they
saw the selfsame flag flying for charity, and the whole city was
surprised, and praised the generosity of this Kinokuniya Bunzayemon.
In this great fire even those large palaces of the _daimios_,[35] which
stood in the line of the fire and which could in ordinary days call up
many hands to keep the fire off, were not able to escape from the
disaster. Even the nobles of high rank and their retainers knew not
where to find shelter, but stood bewildered in the corners of their big
gardens and waited for help, but in vain. For such personages Chobei
ordered men to prepare _bento_ in nice packages of _sasaori_[36] and to
present it to those nobles and their households in the name of
Kinokuniya Bunzayemon. In consequence, even the servants of these nobles
were grateful to the coolies, and received the presents on behalf of
their masters.
Footnote 35:
Feudal lords, or the nobility of Japan.
Footnote 36:
Boxes made with bamboo leaves.
Then, too, Chobei ordered the men of Kinokuniya to put up wooden
inclosures round about the grounds of those nobles to protect them from
robbery or trespass.
The fire raged through the whole night of the 18th and through the whole
of the next day, so Chobei engaged yet more coolies, and ordered them to
make more charity _bento_ for the relief of the poor.
There was a certain man named Kamada Matahachi, who was well known for
his physical strength. He had always kept a large portable closet, about
six feet by three, and five feet seven inches in height, in which to
carry his furniture in case of fire. When he thought his house was in
danger, he put all his belongings into this box, placed a sheet of
matting on the top, and carried all these on his back by the means of a
rope specially prepared for the purpose. Carrying a long, heavy stick in
his hand, he walked unconcernedly and steadily among the crowd like an
elephant among dogs. Every one marveled at his size and strength, and
was forced to make room for him to go by. When he came to Fukagawa to
escape from the fire, he saw there a large sign which read:
Day laborers are wanted for carrying the charity _bento_. Let
all who wish to be engaged call at the timber reservoir of
Kinokuniya Bunzayemon at Fukagawa. Three meals will be given,
and one _kwan mon_[37] will be paid daily for wages.
Footnote 37:
A sum about equal to one dollar.
As he had nowhere to go at the time, he was glad to find some work. He
went to the timber reservoir of Bunzayemon, where he found a bustle and
hurry of men and women, hundreds in number, for the preparation of
luncheon. Some were preparing a quantity of rice in large iron pots,
others were cutting up some pickles, while a third set of men were
wrapping these up in bamboo leaves.
[Illustration:
Matahachi in the great fire at Yedo
]
Many bands of coolies with their paper flags were carrying out the
luncheons in the baskets, while others were coming back with empty ones.
Matahachi, with that big closet on his back, drew near to the place and
thundered out: “Is this the place where hands are wanted?” The people
turned, and without giving any answer simply looked at one another in
astonishment at his curious appearance.
Once more he called out: “I’m one Kamada Matahachi; I come to assist
your charity work for the rescue of the people.”
The voice apparently penetrated even to the inner room, for Chobei came
out and was also surprised by the man’s appearance, but said: “Nothing
can be more fortunate for us than to have the assistance of Mr.
Matahachi, who is noted in the whole of Yedo for his physical strength.
Please help us in our work by distributing the _bento_ in this big,
light-wood chest.”
With ready acquiescence Matahachi laid aside the heavy baggage on his
back. “This is my furniture,” he said; “please keep it for me.” The
rattling sound of iron and china in the chest made those near by wonder
at the forethought with which he had made provision against the
contingency of a fire, and by which he had been enabled to move away at
once with all his household goods.
Having safely stowed away his possessions, Matahachi lifted the big
wooden chest, now packed with _bento_, and by means of a rope put it on
his back, and, holding the big pole of hard oak-wood in his right hand
and the paper flag in his left, started forth to the scene of ruin, with
one coolie to assist him.
As he called out in a loud, deep tone of voice to announce the charity,
the people turned to him in astonishment and soon came flocking around
him. The attendant coolie, standing behind, distributed the _bento_ from
the chest on Matahachi’s back with no inconvenience. So these two
finished their task in less time than it would have taken five or six
men to do it with ordinary methods. On their way back to Kinokuniya,
when they came to a crowded place Matahachi put forth his staff, and by
pushing the crowd to one side made his way through without any
hindrance.
In one of those crowded places he heard the shrieking cry of a girl.
Forcing his way to the spot, he found a girl of twelve or thirteen years
of age who could not get up on account of being trodden down by the
crowd. Being naturally of a chivalrous character, he soon helped the
girl up and asked whether she had not her parents with her.
She sobbed, and said: “We all ran away when the fire broke out, and I
became separated from my parents!”
As he could not leave her there, he said: “That cannot be helped. If you
wander about here you may be trampled to death. I will take you to a
better place if you will get into my empty chest.” So the coolie helped
her in, and they hastened on to Fukagawa.
At another time he saw an old woman of about threescore years, half
dead, lying by the wayside with her dress partly burned. He felt he
could not leave her behind in such a state, so she, too, was put into
the bamboo basket by the side of the girl.
Having got back to Fukagawa, he said to Chobei: “I rescued these two on
the way home. Give them the treatment which is suited to their need.” He
handed them over to the acting master, who thanked Matahachi, and thus
addressed the other bands of coolies: “To give away the _bento_ alone
does not cover the whole work of charity; whenever any of you are coming
back with empty chests, you, too, had better bring people home, if such
help is needed as these two received.” And a cordial reception was given
to the old woman as well as to the young girl.
During such a fire there were naturally many lost children and aged
persons who might have been trodden down under foot. Having understood
Chobei’s instructions, the other bands from that time were sure to bring
back two or three who needed help. To any who were thus brought in
Chobei gave proper treatment, and as he gave the coolies prizes they
worked with great zeal and diligence. Kamada Matahachi went in and out
of the fire ruins many times a day and repeated the same charitable
work. The five or six hundred coolies did their best, also, and, in
consequence, at the reservoir there was a continuous trooping out with
the _bento_ and trooping in of the people; and by the night of the 19th
there were 2800 rescued persons, old and young, all told, who had been
brought to this temporary shelter.
Even on the night of the 19th there was no sign of the abating of the
fire. The strong northwest wind was still raging, and within two days,
the Hongo, Kanda, Nihonbashi, Kyobashi, and Shiba districts were all
swept by the fire. And now the fire was burning down Takanawa with such
terrific force that the very sea-line seemed to recede before it. But
that night the wind suddenly changed to the south-east, and the fire
turned backward and licked up all the houses on both sides of the great
river Sumida and those that had survived at first in Asakusa and round
about Yushima. Then at last it was got under control near to Senju about
noonday on the 20th. And since the morning of the 18th, within three
days and two nights, the whole city of Yedo had been reduced to ashes
and as many as 108,000 people were lost. It was one of the most terrible
of fires.
Indeed, such a disastrous fire had never before and has never since
occurred in Yedo, and even now it is sadly referred to by the people as
the “Furisode-Kwaji”—the long-sleeved fire—quite as often as it is
called the great fire of Hongo-Maruyama.
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