Day in the Life of a Japanese Firefighter

This is a 24 hour day in the life of a Japanese Firefighter in Tokyo Japan. This would be a typical day for a Japan firefighter in Tokyo. To become a firefighter in Tokyo, applicants must pass an exhaustive fire department recruitment examination that is held only once a year which includes both a written and physical exam, culminating into a final interview. Each year there are only a limited number of positions so becoming a Japanese firefighter is highly competitive. Last year, only 1 out 14 applicants, about 7%, were able to pass the full firefighter exam. Soushi became a Tokyo firefighter 1 year after graduating high school and is in his 4th year as Tokyo Firefighter. In Japan, firefighters have 10 different ranks, badges have different numbers of stars and stripes. All firefighters like Soushi start with the first rank, 1 star and 1 stripe, and to earn a promotion to the next rank, 2 stars, the department will generally review a candidates performance, after around 4 years. So, he’s almost there.