英語訳
**(Upper Right Section) List of Burned Districts and Number of Households**
Sengoku-chō: 30 Nishi-chō: 53 Sannō-chō: 70 Ifuku-chō: 43
Kakunaka-chō: 120 Nishi-tsutsumi-chō: 56
Ni-ban-chō: 41 Higashi-tsutsumi-chō: 57
Ichi-ban-chō: 75 Nishi-shijimono-chō: 50
Echizen-chō: 26 Fukuro-chō: 50
Daiku-chō: 17 Naka-chō: 61
Nishi-Sōgurawa: 235 Hoshii-chō: 49
Higashi-Sōgurawa: 424 Nishi-Nakano-chō: 35
Nishi-san-ban-chō: 36 Minami-ta-chō: 494
Higashi-san-ban-chō: 63 Nakano-chō: 52
Furukajiya-chō: 170 Nakano-shin-chō: 165
Ōtaguchi-chō: 99 Umezawa-chō: 290
Minami-shin-chō: 114 Shin-kawahara-chō: 138
Ara-chō: 77 Shimo-kawahara-chō: 35
Tokiwa-chō: 39 Kita-yokochō: 27
Ebi-chō: 74 Kojima-chō: 114
Tono-chō: 47 Toyokawa-chō: 109
Tate-chō: 49 Mukai-kawahara-chō: 18
Jinuemon-chō: 44 Muroya-chō: 30
Sakuragi-chō: 97 Suna-chō: 36
Ki-chō: 134 Kaji-chō: 48
Shimo-ki-chō: 58 Go-ban-chō: 98
Hachinin-chō: 117 Imaki-chō: 109
Ima-chō: 42 **Total: 5,337**
● Area of destroyed buildings: said to be approximately 126,000 *tsubo* (approx. 416,500 m²).
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**● Dispatch of an Imperial Chamberlain**
(Lower Right Section) His Majesty the Emperor, having heard of the great fire in Toyama City, dispatched Imperial Chamberlain Kataoka Toshikazu on the 15th. On the 20th, at 5 o'clock in the morning, the chamberlain landed at Higashi-Iwase Port by steamship from Naoetsu. Together with Secretary Tsuda and others who had come to meet him in advance, he immediately entered Toyama City, viewing the burnt ruins from his carriage. He first proceeded to the Normal School, which was serving as the temporary prefectural office, where he received an overview of the fire situation from Governor Kanao and others, and then checked into the inn "Kiya." From 2 o'clock in the afternoon, he further proceeded on foot with the secretary and the chief of police to personally inspect the devastation wrought by the disaster. He then visited three locations—Kōganji Temple, Daihōji Temple, and Izumi-chō Elementary School—where the greatest numbers of displaced disaster victims had gathered. There, with great solemnity, he informed the assembled victims that news of the great fire had reached the Emperor's ears and that His Majesty was deeply distressed, and he earnestly exhorted them that each person should apply themselves to their livelihood in order to repay the Emperor's gracious concern. Upon hearing this, all present were moved to tears; some could not hold back the flood of emotion and wept openly, their sleeves becoming wet with tears. Secretary Tsuda then delivered a formal address regarding the chamberlain's dispatch, and Mayor Ichikawa offered words of thanks on behalf of all the disaster victims. The chamberlain personally inspected further locations, left words of guidance to the governor regarding relief measures, and in a personal capacity donated 10 yen to the fund for the relief of disaster victims.
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**● Relief for Disaster Victims**
**● Imperial Relief Fund**
Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, having heard of the great fire in Toyama City, graciously bestowed a sum of 6,500 yen as relief funds for the disaster victims.
**● Dispatch of Nurses**
The nursing corps of the Toyama Branch of the Japanese Red Cross Society was deployed to various districts throughout the city in response to the great fire.
**● Distribution of Emergency Relief Rice**
During the great fire, the women's division of the Prefectural Normal School prepared cooked rice and distributed it to firefighters. Furthermore, on the 13th, 20 *koku* (approximately 3,600 liters) of cooked rice was distributed to disaster victims at the Sōgurawa Elementary School, which was serving as the Toyama City Hall office.
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**(Upper Left Section)**
Since the regulations stipulated that this emergency rice provision was to be given within one week, distributions were concluded on the 18th. Plans were subsequently made to categorize victims into "severely affected" and "lightly affected" groups, with provisions of food (uncooked rice) and funds for temporary shelter construction to be provided accordingly; the number of households seeking such assistance reportedly reached over 1,000.
**● Evacuation Shelters**
*Eastern district:* Shimizu-chō Myōkokuji, Gankaiji (same area), Esashi-chō Tsūbō, Tatsumi-chō Senrinji, Raikōji, Yanagi-chō Shōryūji, and Yanagi-chō Elementary School.
*Western district:* Momoi-chō Shōtokuji, Henkuji, Jōkyuji, Nishi-Shijimono-chō Monshōji, Kakushōji, Momoi-chō Renshōji, Kashima-chō Sōfukuji, Sōgurawa Elementary School, and Sannō-chō Elementary School.
*Southern district:* Umezawa-chō Ryūzōji, Daihōji, Gansōji, Myōkokuji, Myōfukuji, Jōrakuji, Kaigānji, Raigōji, Shinkōji, Manzōji, Seigenji, Daibünji, Jōkōji, and Go-ban-chō Kōganji.
**● Relief Donations**
In response to the great fire, the following charitable donations were made to disaster victims: Mitsui family: 2,000 yen; Hayashi Tadamasa and Nakata Seibei: 1,000 yen each; Maeda Toshitomo (Count) and Nakamura Sakujirō: 300 yen each; Kanao Ryōgen: 100 yen. Further donations for relief of the destitute were also received.
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**● Further Notes on the Fire**
**● Inadequacy of Firefighting**
This fire was even more devastating than the great fire that swept through the same city in Meiji 18 (1885). The conflagration lasted approximately 12 hours, ultimately burning 49 of the city's most prominent districts, destroying 5,337 households, and reducing notable buildings including the prefectural office, district office, schools, banks, and the *kyōshinkai* exhibition hall entirely to ashes. The *Toyama Nippō* newspaper attributed this to the failure of the fire brigades and reported the following in the aftermath of the disaster:
▲ Toyama City Fire Brigade: As the flames gradually spread, the firefighters from within Toyama City who had initially rushed to the scene turned back to remove their own household belongings, and failed to exert themselves thereafter—a matter of great regret to the citizens. In particular,
**(Lower Left Section)** the supervising police officers, apparently having no experience in firefighting, lost proper command of the situation, ultimately allowing the fire to reach such a scale—a truly lamentable outcome.
▲ Bad Habits of the Fire Brigade: The Toyama City fire brigade was frequently in such a state as described above. Among those who did render some service, until around 4 o'clock in the afternoon, they spent their time on protecting the Toyama Prefectural Office and police station to the exclusion of all else—a failing said to occur at every major fire.
▲ Performance of Fire Brigades: Despite the failures of the Toyama City fire brigade, brigades from other municipalities all fought desperately. In particular, the fire brigade from Gohyakkoku distinguished itself in fighting the blaze at San-ban-chō and reportedly contained the fire at the Go-ban-chō entrance.
In the first place, since the previous great fire, the city had constructed waterways running through the city to ensure water supply for firefighting purposes. Yet despite this, an unprecedented catastrophe unfolded—ultimately because the city possessed only a handful of pumps, with no more than several dozen firefighters. Moreover, these men were poorly compensated in ordinary times and lacked the spirit of Tokyo firefighters, while the police officers and constables directing them numbered only about 40 in total—wholly incapable of contending with the fire that had spread in all directions driven by fierce winds. This was one of the principal causes of the great fire. A further cause may be identified in the fact that roof tiles in this region are coated with a paint to prevent cracking during the cold months, which renders them naturally combustible; furthermore, the local construction method of laying tiles directly onto the ridge beam without placing earth beneath them further facilitated the spread of the fire. (See illustrations.)
**● Safety of the Imperial Portraits**
The Imperial portraits (*goshin'ei*) bestowed by the Imperial Household Ministry upon the prefectural office and other government offices and schools were all removed to other locations and were, fortunately, kept safe.
**● Spread of Fire to the Prefectural Office**
The Toyama Prefectural Office, along the line of fire's advance, was separated from Nakanoguchi to the west by several private homes and two temple buildings— (continued on next page)