“Largest firebreak in Japan” they say about this place. That is quite the claim isn’t it? Today we are standing before the imposing \u767d\u9aed\u6771\u30a2\u30d1\u30fc\u30c8. It is an apartment complex in Tokyo’s Sumida district. But it is much more than just housing.
\u767d\u9aed\u6771\u30a2\u30d1\u30fc\u30c8 is a large housing complex. It consists of 18 buildings including garages and disaster storage. The Tokyo Metropolitan Housing Supply Corporation manages some buildings. Others are managed by the city. Completed in 1982 the \u767d\u9aed\u6771\u30a2\u30d1\u30fc\u30c8 has a story to tell.
Let’s step back in time. The northern part of Sumida was full of wooden houses after the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923. Another earthquake of that magnitude could kill nearly 400000 people. This area is like the old army clothing depot because it is vulnerable to firestorms. After World War II the threat of urban earthquakes increased. Tokyo needed better disaster prevention measures.
In 1969 Tokyo came up with a plan. It was called the “Koto Area Disaster Prevention Plan”. The \u767d\u9aed\u6771\u30a2\u30d1\u30fc\u30c8 became part of this. It was known as the “Shiroki East Area Disaster Prevention Center”. The city bought the former site of the Kanebo spinning mill. Redevelopment was planned.
Construction began in 1975. It took ten years to complete. The \u767d\u9aed\u6771\u30a2\u30d1\u30fc\u30c8 covers about 27.6 hectares.
The \u767d\u9aed\u6771\u30a2\u30d1\u30fc\u30c8 is a line of 40-meter-high buildings. They stretch for 1.2 kilometers. This long shape acts as a firebreak. It stops fires from spreading.
The buildings do not completely connect to each other. Expansion joints can withstand earthquakes. Seen from above the complex looks like a snake. The long complex helps stop fires in the densely populated area.
The fifth floor has water guns facing Kototoi-dori street. These help stop fires. Buildings 13 and 14 serve as disaster storage. In case of disaster the complex has five gates that can be closed. These gates are the Kinebo Gate Umewaka Gate Suijin Gate Terajima Gate and Shirahige Bridge Gate.
Balconies have fire shutters. These protect against large fires. There is a large orange water tank on the roof. It sprays water on the shutters during a fire.
The adjacent Higashi-Shirahige Park adds to the disaster prevention. It can accommodate about 80000 people during a disaster. Evergreen trees prevent fire spread. The park has a monument shaped like a firemens’ standard.
Since completion the \u767d\u9aed\u6771\u30a2\u30d1\u30fc\u30c8 has not had to function in a real disaster. Let’s hope it never will but it is ready.