Japanese Temple Bells 釣り鐘

Oceans made of stone,
Waves that echo gracefully,
Thundering together




What are they?

Japanese temple bells are know by the terms Tsurigane 釣り鐘　(Hanging Bell) or Bonshou 梵鐘　(Temple bell)。　These bells are almost always found at Buddhist Temples throughout Japan and China. The design was one of many imports from China into Japan with Buddhism. Like many Chinese customs, the Japanese ritualized their creation and refined their use.

Japanese bronze and copper bells hang from ornate frames. On the bell is a strike plate that sits in the lower third of the bell. Hanging from large chains or rope is a 'Mallet' that is swung into the bell.

Many of the original Japanese bells were melted down and their materials used for the war effort during WWII. The bell at Chion-in Temple Kyoto, is the second largest ringing bell in the world, weighing in at a mere 74 tons.


What are they for?

Oddly enough, the post on bells falls in line with several other recent posts on the PoZ. Ringing of the temple bell can be used as another form of ritual purification of the Temple. Ringing of the bells can also be used in the performance of a religious ceremony. In simply pragmatic terms, the ringing of the bells could easily be used to raise the alarm of fire or other public emergency.

At New Year bells around the country are rung 108 times. To read more about this practice, read Muza-Chan's post here.


Is it okay to ring them?

Well, not usually... no. I've come across about 30 or so temple bells and I've only found one of them that was okay to ring. The vast majority are either roped off, or have a number of signs in several languages warning against ringing the bells!

Here's a video from Engyoji Temple in Himeji where it was okay to ring the bell. Engyoji as you may remember was featured in 'The Last Samurai." It is located on mountain in Himeji, and will be the focus of another post. Ringing this bell... was AWESOME!





More information on temple bells?

Bells of the Orient
Japanese Temple Bells
Muza-Chan's Gateway to Japan, New Year Bell Ringing

The top photo is of the temple bell attached to Byodo-in in Uji.
Center photo is the temple bell at Ichijo-ji Kyoto.

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