Iron Baskets Called Asagaos Used to Make Bonfires of Coal in the Meiji Era (1868-1912)
1964 - 1967

Meiji Chuki Asagao Sekitanto
[Iron Baskets Called Asagaos Used to Make Bonfires of Coal in the Meiji Era (1868-1912)]
38.1 x 54.4 cm Watercolors and Ink

When transport men (saodori) worked in winter at the pit mouth of a coal pit which did not use electric lamps, these bonfires were used to illuminate the spot even if it was not a moonless night. They were also used for warmth. Lumps of coal were used to make them.
The iron basket called asagao to make bonfires was 45 cm at the top and 30 cm at the bottom in diameter and about 40 cm in height. It had legs about 1 meter long. It was made of flat iron about one and a half inch wide. Its three legs were made of round iron 3/4 inch in diameter. Its materials were gathered from all over.
Though electricity was introduced to large-scale coal pits around 1878, not until around the end of the Meiji or the beginning of the Taisho era (1912-1926) did small and middle-scale coal pits start to use it. Additionally, it was inconvenient to use electricity at coal pits if they had no privately-owned dynamos.


Translation Assisted by Mr. Nathan Johndro

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