The Mystery of the Demon Mask: Chapter 3

First Published: February, 2000 by Dark Horse Comics

• Miyamoto Usagi
• Sanshobo

Hikeshi

For people living in wood and paper homes, fire was a big concern. It did not take much to set a house on fire, and any strong wind could quickly spread it out of control.

There were some twenty major fires in Edo from 1600 to 1866. One of the most destructive was in 1657 in which 108,000 people died and half the city was laid to waste.

Many precautions were taken to prevent the spread of fire. Large barrels of water and buckets were kept on streets, and many streets themselves were wide enough to act as fire breaks. Fire towers, equipped with bells or alarm boards, were erected throughout the city. The location and ferocity of the fires were indicated by the number and strength of the strokes hitting the alarm.

Firefighters were organized by the daimyo (lord) to protect his castle and the homes of his retainers, and by merchants to protect their own interests. Firefighters were called tobi-no-mono or hikeshi. The term tobi-no-mono (tobi = Siberian black kite; mono = person) comes from the fact that the hook they used had a head shaped like the beak of a kite. Hikeshi (hi = fire; keshi = to extinguish) is a more descriptive term. The daimyo's firefighters wore protective leather clothing with hooded helmets, whereas the town's tobi wore heavy cotton clothing and were mainly composed of carpenters, roofers, and other construction experts. Large mallets and poles were used to knock down walls; bamboo ladders enabled the firefighters to climb; and hooks tore down burning roofs. Manually operated wooden pumps were introduced in the mid-18th century to shoot streams of water through bamboo pipes. Each company of tobi had a standard: a geometric shape mounted on a pole. The standard-bearer took a position as close to the fire as possible, sometimes even on the roof of a burning building. The owner of the saved building would pay a fee to those companies whose standards were represented and who put out the blaze.

References:

References for the fire-fighting scene were gotten from: History of Fire Fighting in Japan, by Tadayoshi Yamamoto, published in 1981 by Fukuinkan-Shoten, Tokyo, a wonderful picture book depicting the firefighters from the Edo period to the present; Everyday Life in Traditional Japan, by Charles J. Dunn, 1969, Charles E. Tuttle Co. of Rutland, VT and Tokyo, described the structure of the fire department; Kabuki Costume, by Ruth M. Shaver, with illustrations by Soma Akira and Ota Gako, 1966, Charles E. Tuttle Co., described in detail the tobi and his uniform; and Japan Day by Day, by Edward S. Morse, 1945, Houghton Mifflin Co. of Boston, gives fascinating accounts of three fires witnessed by the author, one extinguished by traditional means, and one using a foreign-type water pump.

Chapter 3 of The Mystery of the Demon Mask begins right off with a battle between Usagi and Demon Mask in inspector Kojo's home. A lantern is knocked over during the melee and the house catches fire. Demon Mask runs off and Usagi has to remain behind to retrieve the wakizashi he dropped in the fire, as well as to try to prevent the fire from spreading and destroying the town.

A watchman on a tower spots the fire after hearing Usagi's yelling and raises the alarm. The fire brigade is mobilized and quickly makes its way to the police compound to put out the fire. Luckily for Usagi, the men arrive in time to pull Usagi out of the fire. Soon the fire is brought under control, and then assistant inspector Nitta arrives on the scene, demanding Usagi to explain what is going on, which he does, including the battle with Demon Mask and the resulting fire. He is satisfied with Usagi's story but is still tired of his "meddling" and commands Usagi to leave the town. Kuroda arrives at this point, and Nitta commands him to leave also. After Nitta stalks off, Usagi finally figures out Kuroda is Nitta's father.

Kuroda recounts to Usagi the events of his past, which mostly confirms what the three policemen told him about Nitta in Chapter 1 of the story. As Kuroda tells his story, he has one of his coughing fits, and Usagi can now see he is seriously ill. Kuroda explains he caught the sickness from foreigners and he is already beyond the help of doctors. He came to the town in hopes for a reconciliation with his son before it is too late, but Nitta has "no forgiveness for him." Their conversation winds down, and Usagi and Kuroda exchange their plans to the leave the town the next day, traveling in opposite directions. Inspector Kojo happens upon them as they prepare to leave and asks about the fire at his home. Usagi directs Kojo to speak with Nitta, who will explain the situation. Kojo then departs, and Kuroda has already left for an inn.

In the pre-dawn hours, Usagi is restless and awake in his room at an inn. He is startled by the shadow of serving girl who passes his room. He decides he might as well begin his journey back to priest Sanshobo's temple. On his way out of town, he passes two of three policemen he has spoken with before in the previous chapters of the story. They are practicing their sword fighting skills, and Usagi witnesses one of them use an unusual sword stroke. Usagi recognizes the stroke, which the police officer calls the "full-moon slash" and says former assistant inspector Tokuo taught it to them. At that point, Usagi declares he knows who Demon Mask is. He commands one of the officers to gather more men and commands the other to follow him to the Demon Mask.

Usagi catches up with Demon Mask outside of the town, standing over the dead body of Kuroda. He confronts Demon Mask with the knowledge he knows his identity-Inspector Kojo. After Kojo takes off the demon mask, Usagi recounts how he figured out Kojo was Demon Mask, including the fact Demon Mask used the full-moon slash, the same stroke Tokuo taught to the policemen. Since Kojo taught Tokuo, it stands to reason that Kojo knows the stroke, as well. Kojo in turn recounts his agony over the loss of his son, which turned to spite against ronin everywhere. After a junior officer arrives on the scene and hesitates to obey Kojo's order to arrest Usagi, Kojo attacks Usagi.

After a prolonged battle, Usagi finally emerges victorious. Nitta arrives on the scene shortly thereafter and is quickly apprised of the situation, including the death of his father, Kuroda. Usagi expresses his regret at the death of Nitta's father, but Nitta gruffly states "He was no father--just another useless ronin," and "The world is better off without him." Nitta again reaffirms his command for Usagi to leave the town and that he never wants to see him again.

Last change: 19. May 2003

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Usagi Yojimbo, including all prominent characters featured in the stories and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of Stan Sakai and Usagi Studios. Usagi Yojimbo is a registered trademark of Stan Sakai. Names, characters, places, and incidents featured in this publication either are the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), events, institutions, or locales, without satiric content, is coincidental.