Matoi
　The membership is 800 active members and associate members，whose merit is 
 “justice,humanity and strained endurance” in a good sense so−caned the fireman−
  like spirit.
  They have the Japanese−like characteristics of Japanese to worship ancestors，
  pay respect to superiors and honor the old tradition and conventional practices.

  Some of the main item of traditional culture that the Edo Firemanship Preservation
  Association has inherited from the Edo fire service are introduced here.

  
  In the Edo period whenever there was a fire, company standards responded.
  Under a company standard firemen devoted all their energies in fighting
  a fire（mostly firefighting by destruction).Then a company standard was
  such a symbol of the Edofire service that people said it extinguished a
  fire.
　It is said that the company standard originated in the 15th century，when
  it was the symbol of a commander’s force at the scene of war.
  Also it is said that after the birth of the town fire brigades in 1719,
  it was introduced in the fire service as the company standard.
  Matoi consists of a body called “toban” and “baren” or flaps hanging
  down from it that are made of paper or leather.
  The standard is about 2.4 meters high and weighs about 20 Kg.

  In order to be recognized of its existence， a fireman from each fire company stood
  its standard an top the roof of a house on fire. Other members or the company had to
  fight fire desperately in order to prevent the standard from getting burnt.
  It was a shame for the standard bearer to let go his hold of it even in burning names. 
  It was rather his long−cherished desire lo die together with the standard.
  Even today the standard is the symbol of each company， which holds it in trust
  carefully as something to go by.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


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