Yaoya Oshichi: The Girl Who Tried to Burn Down Tokyo For Love

In the winter of 1682, a massive fire swept through Edo, present-day Tokyo. Known as the “Great Tenna Fire” it raged through the city’s crowded wooden districts, destroying thousands of homes and leaving many people homeless. Among the displaced was a teenage girl named Yaoya Oshichi, the daughter of a greengrocer who lived in the Hongō district. Seeking refuge, her family went to a nearby temple, where Oshichi met and fell in love with a young temple priest. That fleeting encounter would ignite a passion so powerful it would ultimately consume her life.

Japanese wood block print depicting Yaoya Oshichi climbing the clock tower. By Utagawa Kunisada, 1866. Credit: Wikimedia Commons