Here's another weird thing about Japan. There's a small fire engine which they drive around just for decoration. This fire engine is normally driven by older looking men who you wouldn't want to try to save you in a fire. It doesn't have a siren. Instead it has a bell sound, like a tower bell or something. From about 5pm to 9pm, they drive around the neighborhoods constantly ringing the bell. The purpose of this annoyance is apparently to remind people about fire safety. Seems like a waste of money to me. I doubt anyone tries to light their house on fire, so it seems like smoke detectors and the like would be a better idea.