The mysterious kimono curse burned down ancient Tokyo

It is said that the kimono is a curse that caused three young girls to die on the same day and caused ancient Tokyo to be engulfed in flames.

Coming to Tokyo, one of the stories visitors will hear is about the mysterious kimono that started the fire that burned down the city in the past.

Edo is the old name of the present-day capital Tokyo, Japan. In 1603, Tokugawa Ieyasu came to power and began to build up the economy and politics in Edo, turning it into one of the largest cities in the world at that time. In addition, Tokugawa also built for himself a well-trained firefighting army fully equipped with firefighting equipment.

Edo Castle or present-day Tokyo. Photo: Metro.

Edo Castle was located on high ground in the center of the city, with many circles dividing it into separate areas for people of different professions and social classes to live in. Like other Asian cities, Edo Castle was mainly built of wood, rice paper, and used charcoal for heating.

At that time, the city was crudely planned, the roads were narrow and winding, and the houses were located close together. This was the reason why this place suffered more than 100 fires. Among them, the Meireki Fire that occurred on March 2, 1657 was a historic fire, originating from a mysterious kimono.

The three owners of the kimono all died mysteriously on the same day. Photo: Wiki Visually.

Legend has it that the Meireki kimono (a type of kimono worn by single women during traditional Japanese holidays) was said to be cursed and caused the deaths of three young women. All of them died before wearing it on January 16th for three consecutive Ming calendar years. This was considered a bad omen by everyone. So a priest decided to lift the curse by burning the kimono.

Suddenly, while the kimono was burning, a strong wind from the northwest blew through, causing the temple to burst into flames. The fire then quickly spread to the surrounding areas due to the drought of the previous year, which made Edo Castle even drier. Therefore, Tokugawa Ieyasu's fire brigade could not control the fire.

On the second evening, the wind changed direction and pushed the fire from the south into the central area of ​​the city, engulfing almost the entire Edo Castle. Finally, after three days, the fire was extinguished. It is estimated that up to 100,000 people died, 60-70% of the capital was burned, including 300 temples, 500 palaces, 9,000 shops, 61 bridges.

The damage was so great that it could be compared with the Great Kantō earthquake of 1923 and the 1945 US atomic bombing of two major Japanese cities during World War II.

The Meireki Fire burned down three-quarters of Edo capital. Photo: Mheu.

The reconstruction of Edo was carried out within two years under the leadership of the general Rōjū Matsudaira Nobutsuna. Streets were widened, and some districts, especially the central area, were rearranged and reorganized to restore and promote the economy.

In addition, the government also subsidized samurai and commoners to build houses and stabilize their lives. The Tokugawa empire lasted until 1867, when Edo city was renamed Tokyo as it is today.

According to VNE