Time Bell Tower

時の鐘Saitama

Sight

What makes this place special?

At a Glance

Time Bell Tower, or Toki no Kane, is a three-story bell tower in the center of Kawagoe, Saitama, and the symbol of the city. It stands 16 meters high at the edge of the Kurazukuri Zone of old storehouses, and its bell weighs about 700 kilograms. The tower opens onto the grounds of Yakushi Shrine, believed to help with illness, especially eye disease.

The present tower is the fourth generation, rebuilt in 1894, a year after the Great Fire of Kawagoe, with donations from local merchants. Earlier towers and bells had been lost to fire several times. The bell now rings mechanically four times a day, at 6 am, noon, 3 pm and 6 pm. The tower is a Kawagoe City tangible cultural property and was chosen among the 100 Soundscapes of Japan in 1996.