Guest
Join this channel to get access to perks: Want to learn more about Periscope Film and get access to exclusive swag? Join us on Patreon. Visit Visit our website One of a series of extraordinary home movies shot in Occupied Japan immediately after WWII, this film shows many scenes from various festivals. It includes the Dezome-shiki or New Year’s Parade of Firemen. The man who filmed these was a Harvard graduate ('43) and U.S. Army Intelligence Officer named Robert Ryan. Ryan may have very well worked for the OSS, although it's not clear. He definitely worked as an instructor at the U.S. Army's AFFE Intelligence School, and toured Vietnam in the early 1960s to conduct strategic vulnerability surveys. These films dates to the period July 1947-May 1951, when Ryan served in the Department of Defense in the Geographic Branch, Theater Intelligence Division, Far East Command. During this time he served in Occupied Japan and in the Korean theater. The film begins with b&w images of a temple complex and torii before transitioning to color. At (:46), children are shown in traditional dress visiting the shinto shrine. Pedestrians with parasols move past the camera. At (1:30) a stand is shown where lucky charms and “ema“ votive plaques and other souvenirs are for sale. At (3:09), geishas pose for the camera. The Dezome-shiki (shown starting at 5:27) takes place every year on January 6th, when members of the Tokyo Metropolitan Fire Department risk their lives in a death-defying display to welcome in the New Year and entertain the public. Today, the New Year’s Parade of Firemen is held at Tokyo Big Sight. At (6:17) the firefighters climb atop a smoking building. At (8:42) a man is shown making cotton candy for children. At (10:20) a man is shown making origami boats. At (10:37) a woman performs a dance with a fan -- note the pattern of the kimono has German swastika symbols as well as the fascist era Japanese flag. At (10:26) a snake charmer shows off a snake to a hypnotized crowd. At (10:49), a Giant Kite Festival is shown. Location is unclear, but a modern version is held on the banks of the Sagamihara River, a stone's throw from the U.S. Army's Camp Zama. At (19:43) another festival is shown, with a rider in traditional dress on a horse shooting an arrow. This is possibly the Kyoto Festival, where Japanese mounted archery perform at the Shimogamo Shrine. The Dezome-shiki is held by the Tokyo Metropolitan Fire Department to remind and warn citizens of the dangers of fire and to pray for a safe New Year. It has its origins in the Edo period (1603-1868), a time when many great fires struck Edo (modern-day Tokyo), burning down a lot of the city. Following a very big fire in 1657, the jobikeshi fire brigade was formed to protect the city and strategic sites such as Edo Castle with fire corps stationed full-time in four locations in Edo. We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example: “01:00:12:00 -- President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference.“ This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit
