The history of Dezome-shiki dates back to January 4th of 1659, when it was first held at Ueno Toshogu Shrine in Edo (old Tokyo). The wide-scale fire that occurred during the Meireki Period (in 1657) burned most of the houses in Edo, including the Edo Castle Tower, killing tens of thousands of victims, because the buildings of the town were wooden those days. The Dezome parade held by the fire brigade a couple of years later was a source of great encouragement to the people of the town, and this custom has continued down to the present day as an annual New Year event.
"Ladder stunts" are acrobatic performances such as hand-stands performed with the legs spread at the top of tall bamboo ladders. It is said that ladders are needed when rescuing people or finding out where the origin of the fire is, and training with these ladders gradually developed into the performances we can enjoy today. The firefighters' dynamic, skillful techniques are well worth seeing. Aside from that, you can also enjoy watching demonstrations of fire extinguishing, rescuing, and paramedics, as well as a procession of fire engines, firefighting helicopters and fire ships. The traditional "Kiyari" parade and a music performance by the TFD Band are also scheduled to be shown. Do not miss the performance of the "heavy vehicle with two arms", a machine which can quickly remove building debris in a disaster scene. In addition, you can actually ride on the ladder trucks and fire engines, or experience strong earthquake simulations on the earthquake truck. With so much to enjoy, this event is also highly recommended for families.