STUDY OF FIRES ON EDO AND TOKYO AREA IN THE PAST 400 YEARS

Abstract

This paper grasps fires on Edo and Tokyo area for the past 400 years and it is to assist the creation of improved urban policies by addressing the preexistent urban problems in the disaster prevention measures. It compares the fires that can grasp a size by dividing 400 years in three periods. The frequency of the big size fires has declined as years go by. The fires more than burned area 1653m^2 and the number of deaths from those fires can be sequentially examined. However, no correlation between these factors can be found in the cases occurred after Meiji Era. Additionally, the changes in the social structures, e.g. the reinforcement to the fire services, have helped us prevent massive fire-related damage to our societies.