Hello! It is the blog: How Unique Japan. We always share some Japanese uniqueness!
This time, we would like to discuss the bells in the Japanese temples. The size is Gigantic. Please look at the picture below.
What are the bells?
Some of you might consider the bell similar to a church bell. However, it is the bronze, and the concept specifically pertains to Buddhism. The bell is named Bonsyou.
The invention of this instrument was in India, the birthplace of the religion, over 2500 years ago. They used it as a small musical instrument.
The ancient people believed such a percussion instrument would create a holy sound to purify bad things.
As Buddhism gradually spread throughout Asian countries, Japan also imported the religion and the bells.
It was around 538 AD. (Nevertheless, it does not ensure whether Buddhism and the bell came simultaneously.)
Do you think Buddhism is from Japan? No, it is not. Our original religion is Shinto. If you are interested, please check this page, which covers the religions in Japan.
In the next section, we can see how they work in Japan.
Its duty in Japan
Surprisingly, the purpose of ringing the bell has not changed since it arrived in Japan. It is to purify and tell the TIME, daily and seasonally.
Once the religion established itself in Japan, the bell began serving as a time signal.
In the Edo era from 1603 to 1868 AD, there was a rule that a monk (of the temple) hit the bell every morning and evening.
It is called Ake Mutsutsu (six times in the morning) and Kure Mutsutsu (six times in the evening).
The citizens measured the time by the sound. The time is around 6 am and 6 pm.
Moreover, we Japanese have a big event concerned with the bell. It is Zyoya no Kane. (Kane means a bell in Japanese.)
The event, Zyoya no Kane
The event takes place on the last day of each year, December 31st. On that day, the Japanese visit temples to pray for good luck, health, or success for the new year.
We Japanese call the last day of the year the Omisoka. At the same time, the monk has a significant duty to those visitors, called Zyoya no Kane.
It is to hit the bell to purify the souls/hearts of customers. However, the hitting times are surprising. It would be ONE HUNDRED EIGHT TIMES!!
The numbers are from Buddhism. In the lesson, humans have 108th bad/earthly desires.
It is why the monk hit the bell with such numbers, purifying our souls to be like a white canvas and accept the new year.
Indeed, this event has a rich history dating back to the Kamakura era from 1180 to 1336 AD.
To close
They are the tips of the bell in temples. So, it is not yet. As you can imagine, there are many temples around Japan. Some of them have a different design. If you could visit Japanese temples, please focus on what the bells have.
Oh, do not be harsh. It is not over yet. We have more articles categorized into four topics. They are about Japanese lifestyle, food, the Edo era, and religions.
If you are still interested in those, please click and try!
OK! See you for the next feature of Japan!