Guard House for Fire to Provide Servicing on Safety Lanterns and Tobacco
1958 - 1963

Hiban: Anzento Teire, Tabako Sabisu
[Guard House for Fire to Provide Servicing on Safety Lanterns and Tobacco]
21.1 x 30.3 cm Ink Painting

Text on the Right
Middle and large-scale coal pits started using the safety lantern instead of the lamp called a kantera using a naked light in the end of the Meiji era (1868-1912) because the lamp caused frequent gas explosions. Each of these pits made an old miner provide servicing on the safety lantern and tobacco to other miners at guard houses for fire set up in their pit. The cut tobacco provided there was named "Nadeshiko" sold at 2 sen (0.02 yen) for 5 momme (3.75 g).

Text at the Top Left
Each of the three pipes prepared were tied to the counter with strings. The old guard handed each miner 5 or 6 pipe bowls of tobacco at one time. Those who came to the guard house later could not wait their turn long and demanded others to quickly pass the pipes to them, shouting very loudly, "Banjiri! Banjiri! (Pass the pipes to the end of the line quickly!)," so the guard house was very busy and noisy.

Text at the Top Center
"Hey, pass the pipes to the end of the line quickly before smoke comes out of your ass!"


Translation Assisted by Mr. Nathan Johndro

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