As old Japanese buildings have been made almost entirely of wood, fire-fighting has been job of the utmost importance for centuries. Dezome-shiki is a combination of festival and demonstration usually held in the first week of January by local fire brigades to show their skill and techniques, and to remind people to take care with fire. One display of skill that has held over from the old days is the ladder dance, in which firefighters do acrobatic tricks at the tops of tall bamboo ladders.

Please see the following site:
Dezome-shiki: A New Year’s Ceremony with Edo-era Roots | Goin’ Japanesque! (goinjapanesque.com)