Tim S remembered these sounds from his childhood in Japan:

Now that the weather has become drier in Japan, it's Edo tradition to volunteer to walk the streets calling "Hi no yojin" (火の用心 "Beware of Fires!") and clap sticks called Hyoshigi (拍子木). It is traditionally done to remind those who hear to double-check the stove, dust the… pic.twitter.com/7WtLeV34M4