Memories of Fire and Water: An Ethnography of Disaster and Prayer (Edo - Early Showa Period)

Memories of Fire and Water: An Ethnography of Disaster and Prayer (Edo - Early Showa Period)
In the Japanese view of nature, fire and water have been regarded as two opposing yet mutually calming forces. The folk wisdom of worshipping water deities to prevent fires and holding fire festivals to prevent floods was systematized in cities and farming villages during the Edo period. The Great Fire of Edo led to the institutionalization of town firefighting, and "Suitengu" and "Ryujinsha" spread as water protectors. Prayer and disaster prevention were layered into the urban structure, and a culture of balancing fire and water was fostered.

At the "Nachi Fire Festival" in Kumano Nachi, a procession to welcome the god of waterfalls is purified with fire to light the way into the sanctuary of water. The symbolism of fire protecting water indicates a manner of praying for rebirth by turning misfortune around. The fire festival of Kurama in Kyoto is also held in autumn as a boundary fire between mountains and water, and the light of the flame heralds the changing of the seasons and the cycle of water.

Meanwhile, prayers for water to quell drought continued at Kibune Shrine and Suitengu Shrine, and the Mushiwari and wild fires in farming villages remained as events to purify the fields with fire. In Bon festival bonfires and lantern floating ceremonies, fire and water served as two paths to lead the dead and functioned as a ritual to connect life and death, disaster and rebirth.

In Japan from the Edo period to the early Showa period, institutional disaster prevention and religious prayer coexisted, and the idea of living through a dialogue between fire and water was rooted in the foundation of the community.