A CITY SHAPED BY FIRE
Hakodate, a scenic port city on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, has a long history of devastating blazes.
Today, its streets carry subtle reminders of that past, including an unusual detail: yellow fire hydrants.
Elsewhere in Japan, hydrants are painted red. Hakodate’s choice of bright yellow is rooted in hard-earned experience.
From the late 19th century through to the early 20th century, the city repeatedly suffered from major fires. The deadliest came in 1934, when a massive inferno destroyed two-thirds of central Hakodate and killed more than 2,000 people.
In the aftermath, city planners travelled to the United States to study how to modernise firefighting infrastructure and prevent future disasters.
Back then, Hakodate’s fire hydrants were installed underground and marked by manhole covers, making them difficult to locate or access, especially when buried under snow.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/japan-hakodate-fire-prevention-city-planning-5998716
