Japanese Fire Department insignia design.....what is it supposed to be?

[blinky]

Does anyone know what the symbol in the center of the fire department insignia is supposed to represent? I've heard it's a stylized design of the end of some sort of tool but......
Below is a picture (stolen off ebay....sorry) of what I'm talking about, the three "prong" device.

Thanks in advance!

Eric

[Eric Doody]

Eric,

I checked In the Name of a Living God by Paul L. Murphy & Steven L. Ackley and found the following on Page 98 for Figure 12.2..."The three-pointed star symbol was used by the Imperial Fire Brigade when they adopted their own symbol and stopped using the police symbol, from which they originated."

Hope this helps.

Eric

[blinky]

Thanks Eric. So the symbol more than likely is just a stylized star, along the lines of the police symbol?


eric

[W.Unland]

Hello,

The device shown is used currently by volunteer firemen. Regular career firemen use a 6 pointed star, and police a 5 pointed star. I have never heard that it represented anything other than a recognizable "symbol".

I would comment though that when compared to the police and regular fire department insignias it doesn't look much like a star. Hose nozzles have 3 locking studs, perhaps thats where it came from.

Here is a photo of 1946 era police insignia showing their true "star" shaped badge.

Regards,
Bill Unland

[Jareth]

I always thought the symbol represented a top view of a fire break. It was a wooden device placed between buildings to draw away the fire.

[W.Unland]

Your guess is as good as mine. I asked a current volunteer fireman I know and he had no idea whatever! Whatever the true meaning it seems to have been lost with time.

Regards,
Bill Unland

[blinky]

Thanks again guys! I think the item Jareth is talking about is what I had in my mind but I cannot remember where I'd heard that before. I did manage to contact a fireman's association in Japan and asked and like Bill's fireman, they had no idea either. Oh well, that's half the charm of collecting Japanese

Eric