Why Did Edo Burn Down Every 20 Years

Japanese Peasants Couldn't Eat the Rice They Grew:    • Japanese Peasants Couldn't Eat the Rice Th...   How Did Samurai Wear Armour in Japanese Summer:    • How Did Samurai Wear Armour in Japanese Su...   What Actually Happened at a Seppuku | Animated History Of Japan:    • What Actually Happened at a Seppuku | Anim...   Fires and fights were the flowers of Edo. This old saying reveals the shocking reality of life in Japan’s shogun capital-a city built of wood and paper that burned to the ground every 20 years by design. We explore why a million people lived in a tinderbox lit by open flame, where samurai estates hogged 70% of the land, and the poor were packed into kindling-like row houses. Discover the "financial advice" that told residents to spend all their money every night because it might be ash by morning. Meet the Tobi, the tattooed firefighter superstars who fought each other as often as they fought the flames. Learn about the terrifying job of the man who climbed onto a burning rooftop to refuse to come down, and why he did it. We also dive into the law that burned teenage girls alive for arson. The tragic story of Oshichi, who lit a fire just to see a boy one last time, spawned a superstition that terrified Japan for centuries. But the strangest tale involves the Great Meireki Fire and a "cursed" kimono that killed 100,000 people. Was it really a supernatural curse, or a convenient cover-up to save a government official? The clues point to a massive scandal hidden in plain sight. Subscribe for more dark history and untold stories from Japan. #Edo #JapaneseHistory #Samurai #Tokugawa #History #EdoPeriod