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Thousands of spectators descended on Tokyo’s Big Sight International Exhibition Center on Wednesday to enjoy a series of spectacular displays presented by the Tokyo Fire Department.

The annual New Year event, known as “Shobo Dezome-shiki” in Japanese, was held on the edge of picturesque Tokyo Bay. The festive event comprised parades of dapper firefighters, emergency medical service personnel, fast-response disaster teams and a host of high-tech vehicles and appliances, including helicopters and boats.

Some 12,000 spectators of all ages were treated to a feast of firefighting spectacles including aerial ladder acrobatics, earthquake rescue demonstrations and a particular thrilling demonstration that involved multiple firefighters abseiling down a40 meter building and expertly extinguishing a raging fire.

Other crowd pleasers included the fire department’s helicopters that circled and hovered over the bay, dumped gallons of water to put out a mock fire on a boat and then swooped fast and low over the delighted audience, who showed their appreciation by way of rapturous applause.

As the event reached its climax, with the fire brigade bands providing magnificent music, firefighters being elevated in buckets to dizzying heights by their fire trucks and fire boats on the bay spraying plumes of multicolored water, the spectators were on their feet in delight and amazement.

“The helicopters were so cool,” said 14-year old Taiki Yoshiro, a junior high school student, after the event. “I’m glad there are so many people, like firefighters, to help us if anything bad ever happened in Tokyo.”

“The displays were truly amazing, the (Tokyo) fire department has some very dedicated and talented individuals,” commented Keiko Murakami, a senior citizen, as her husband nodded enthusiastically in agreement. PREPAREDNESS: THE BURNING ISSUE

However the Tokyo Shobo Dezome-shiki, or New Year’s Fire review in English, is more than just a high-octane, fun-filled festival.

Such events are held by regional fire departments all across Japan during the New Year period and through the performances and the showcasing of high-technology equipment in action, in numerous prescribed rescue scenarios, comes an important message, one of fire safety, prevention and community awareness and solidarity.

“These performances and the exhibitions on display send a message to the local community and the wider society about the importance of fire safety and prevention,” Masashi Imai, a senior officer based at Nogata Fire Station in the Nakano district of Tokyo, told Xinhua.

“We want to promote disaster preparedness to the public and ensure people know what to do in case of an emergency such as an earthquake or fire. Providing this information to the public is the real issue today — and if the event is exciting then more people will be interested,” he said between parades.

Yuji Arai, the 22nd Fire Chief of the Tokyo Fire Department, also points to the importance of disaster preparedness.

“With Japan’s economy facing hardships, the Tokyo Fire Department sees many challenges lying ahead. Given the situation, we need to better prepare for major disasters like devastating earthquakes, step up fire and emergency services including (Emergency Medical Services) EMS, push forward fire prevention measures to cope with the new threats surrounding our building environment,” the Fire Chief is quoted as saying on the department’s website.

“As for our immediate issues, we are promoting home fire safety by encouraging communities to have fire alarms in the home, while continuing our efforts to make Tokyo resilient to all types of disasters, so that residents can feel secure living in the capital. Together with the 18,000 personnel of my department, I will keep on going and carrying out measures to realize people’s desire for greater safety,” Amai has resolved.

Tokyo itself sits upon two tectonic plates and the land that many of the buildings have been constructed upon is considerably soft, according to seismologists. Approximately 1,500 earthquakes hit Japan on average every year; of varying magnitude, and experts believe that Tokyo is long overdue to be hit by a major quake, experts have said.

Contrary to many beliefs, collapsing buildings and falling debris aren’t the major cause of serious injuries or death when earthquakes hit an urban area, it’s fire — and for this reason the effort, skills and techniques seen by the Tokyo Fire Department on Wednesday, and the message they are promoting, is sovery relevant to the megalopolis’ inhabitants. EDO ABLAZE

The very first Dezome-shiki took place on Jan. 4 1659 at Ueno Toshogu Shrine in Edo (old Tokyo). Two years earlier a ferocious fire decimated much of Edo, with its wooden buildings and houses turning ashes and tens of thousands of people losing their lives. The iconic Edo Castle Tower was also destroyed in the blaze.

The Dezome parade held by the fire brigade a couple of years later was a source of great encouragement to the people of the town to unite as a community and rebuild their lives, as well as remember those who were taken by the inferno.

This marked the beginning of fire safety and awareness in Japan and the Dezome parades have been an annual event during the New year period across the nation since then.

The ladder acrobatics enjoyed by thousands on Wednesday, which included firefighters in traditional costumes performing hand-stands with their legs spread, at the top of tall bamboo ladders, reveals how the fundamental skills, strength, dexterity and fearlessness of Japanese firefighters, have remained largely unchanged over the centuries.

The application of these fundamentals, by firefighters and emergency services personnel, in today’s environment and the evolution of the technology would no doubt make those involved in the first Dezome parade in 1659 very proud indeed.

A marimba solo concert was held at the Middle School Affiliated to the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, Tuesday, December 29, 2009. The performer Zhang Zimo brought his percussion to us by performing a variety of marimba music in traditional and contemporary styles.

“Empire State of Mind” has been a chart-topping hit for Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, spending five weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. The No. 1 anthem is also responsible for reigniting the singing aspirations of songwriter/producer Angela Hunte, who penned and produced “Empire” with writing partner Jane’t “Jnay” Sewell-Ulepic. It all started with a bad case of homesickness.

“My writing partner and I were in London, missing home,” Hunte says. “We said to ourselves, ‘We complain so much about New York — about the busy streets, about the crowds and the pushing, about the subway system — but I would trade that for anything right now.’ Before we left the hotel that night, we knew we would write a song about our city.”

The pair sent the song to entertainment company Roc Nation in hopes that its founder, rapper Jay-Z, would record the song. But when that attempt failed, they became convinced it was the end of the line for the track.

Eight months later, Big Jon Platt, president of North American Creative for EMI Music Publishing, heard the song and fell in love with it. He suggested to Hunte and Sewell-Ulepic that it would be a perfect fit for Jay-Z. Despite the women’s hesitance given the results of their first pitch, Platt sent the song to the rapper, who, Hunte says, “recorded it that night.” Jay-Z wrote all new verses inspired by the original lyrics and left Hunte’s words in the song’s hook. At Hunte’s recommendation, Alicia Keys was recruited to sing the hook.

“We were so happy he wanted to honor our work,” Hunte says. “For him as a rapper to take a song by two female writer/producers? That’s not a combination you see a lot. And Alicia has my same vocal tone. She made the song sound so close to the original. She just nailed it.”

FROM BROOKLYN TO EUROPE

A Brooklyn native, Hunte — who grew up at 560 State Street, the address Jay-Z mentions on the track — launched her music career as a singer. But eventually she began studying production alongside mentor/producer Salaam Remi because, Hunte says, she found music becoming more “commercial. I just felt there was no place for me (as a performer) in music at that time.”

In 2001, she signed a deal brokered by Remi with EMI and moved to Europe, where she began writing for Ms. Dynamite, Mis-teeq and British R&B singer Beverly Knight, among others. Hunte received her big break when she wrote the track “Do Somethin’” for Britney Spears. The song appeared on Spears’ “Greatest Hits: My Prerogative” compilation and was released as the second single off the 2004 set.

Three years later, Hunte returned to the United States. Netting a writing gig with girl group Danity Kane, she wrote the act’s first single, “Show Stopper.” The track reached No. 8 on the Hot 100. Since then, Hunte has worked with Justin Timberlake, Timbaland and newcomer Melanie Fiona. She’s slated to go into the studio to collaborate with Young Jeezy, Roc Nation artist J. Cole and up-and-coming rapper H 2-0.

Hunte is also at work on her own as-yet-untitled album, which she describes as a “pop, electronic set.”

But Hunte will always remember the impact that “Empire” has had on her career. Although the singer/songwriter/producer declined to reveal more details, she promises that the original version of “Empire State of Mind” will be released one day.

“The original is so powerful,” Hunte says. “It’s only a matter of time until you will hear it down the line.”