[Tokyo] Free but full of exhibits! Let's go to the fire museum!

1st floor entrance

Why not take a close look at real fire engines, ambulances, and fire helicopters right in front of you? The Fire Museum has a wide selection of items, from horse-drawn fire carriages from the Meiji era to foreign-made fire engines from the Taisho era

There are plenty of interactive exhibits, including animations that children can enjoy and moving dioramas! What's more, it's free. There is also a rest area where you can bring your own lunch, so it's recommended for families

I was impressed by the actual firefighting helicopter and vehicle displays!

Firefighting helicopter on display on the first floor

The Fire Museum is directly connected to Exit B2 of Yotsuya-Sanchome Station on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line. You can enter from either the basement entrance or the ground floor entrance. Receive your admission badge at the reception and attach it to a clearly marked area before you begin your tour

On the first floor, there is a mini theater and a firefighting helicopter on display. The mini theater shows disaster prevention animations and introductions to the fire brigade. The firefighting helicopter was actually used until 1982. This helicopter is hanging from the ceiling, and directly below it is a staircase leading to the first basement floor

Fire engines on display on the first basement floor

This is the view from the stairs to the basement floor. On the basement floor, there are seven vehicles on display that were used from the Taisho era to the Heisei era, including ladder trucks, fire pump trucks, and ambulances. Incidentally, the first fire pump truck appeared in Tokyo in 1917. Since then, fire engines have been improving year by year. There is also an explanation that shows how fire engines have changed over time

There is also a museum where you can purchase disaster prevention supplies and original goods. After your tour, take the elevator to the exhibition hall on the third floor. The second floor is the Yotsuya Fire Station and there are no exhibits

Learn about firefighting through animation and moving dioramas

Firefighting diorama linked to the anime

The theme of the third floor is "Modern Firefighting," and the exhibits cover various disaster response efforts. Animation and moving dioramas are used to explain the process from the outbreak of a fire to firefighting and lifesaving activities, making it easy for children to understand

The Anime Theater regularly screens anime about fire prevention and disaster prevention, and these anime are also available in English

Actual exhibits of the latest firefighting equipment

There are displays of the latest firefighting equipment and emergency supplies, as well as model fire engines, and a silhouette quiz-style explanation panel about fire vehicles. There is also a fire engine exhibit where children can experience a simulated fire brigade deployment. The exhibits are mainly designed to be enjoyed by the whole family

Firefighting equipment from the Showa era

The theme of the exhibition on the fourth floor is "The Evolution of Firefighting," and the exhibits show how firefighting equipment has been modernized and developed from the Meiji period to the present day

The museum displays a horse-drawn steam pump used in the Meiji era, firefighting equipment, a diorama of firefighting activities, and archival footage and photographs of the Great Kanto Earthquake from the Taisho era. You can see the progress of modernization of firefighting from the Meiji era onwards, including wartime firefighting and responses to high-rise building fires

Let's ride in a firefighting helicopter!

Firefighting helicopter outside on the 5th floor

There is a firefighting helicopter on display outdoors on the 5th floor. You can't board the firefighting helicopter on the 1st floor, but you can board the one here. So, let's take a look inside the cockpit

Firefighting helicopter cockpit

This is the cockpit of a firefighting helicopter. It's a genuine one that has actually been used. The door is always open, so if you bring your children, you can have them sit in it and take commemorative photos. There are also chairs outside where you can take a break

Learn about firefighters in the Edo period!

A full lineup of firefighters' flags

After taking a helicopter ride outdoors, let's take a look at the exhibits on the 5th floor. The theme of the exhibits on the 5th floor is "The Dawn of Firefighting - Edo's Firefighters." The exhibits explain the birth of the firefighters who protected the city of Edo during the Edo period and how they worked

There are two main attractions. One is a diorama that recreates the streets of Edo. It gives a good idea of ​​the firefighters' efforts during a fire. The other is the Matoi (traditional Japanese banners), the symbol of the firefighters. All of the Matoi from the "Iroha 48 Groups" and "Honjo Fukagawa 16 Groups" of Edo's town firefighters are on display at half the size of the original

As you can see from the photo, the size in the showcase is only half, so you can get an idea of ​​how huge the real thing was. We have now finished looking at all the main exhibits on the 5th floor. The 6th floor is also home to the special exhibition room and video room. The 7th floor is the library, which opens at 1pm on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Finally, we will take a rest in the observation lounge on the 10th floor before heading home

Enjoy the view from the observation lounge!

The 10th floor rest room offers a panoramic view of Tokyo Skytree

The 10th floor is an observation lounge with a drink vending machine and about 10 tables that seat four people. You can bring your own lunch or snacks and relax here while eating and drinking. You can see Tokyo Skytree and the skyscrapers of Shinjuku, and on clear days you can even see Mount Fuji. It's such a popular spot that it fills up at lunchtime even on weekdays

How was it?

The Fire Museum is free to visit, but is closed on Mondays (or the following day if Monday falls on a national holiday) and during the New Year holidays (December 28th to January 4th). It is open from 9:30am to 5pm. It is a fun place for both adults and children, and is also educational as a social studies field trip, so it is highly recommended. Please give it a go

INFORMATION

Jun Nambara

Writer, screenwriter, animation producer. He wrote and directed the drama CD ``The Rose of Versailles,'' supervised by Riyoko Ikeda, and has written many books, including ``Onmyoji ``Abe Seimei'' (Futami Shobo). He is also attracting attention as a travel writer who works as a tour conductor on weekends. His hobby is visiting the sacred places of anime, dramas, and movies.