Joya no Kane
Practices除夜の鐘 ・ Reading: joya no kane
Definition
The New Year's Eve ritual in which temple bells are struck 108 times, once for each worldly desire that clouds the human heart. At many temples, visitors may line up to strike the great bell themselves as the year turns.
One hundred and eight tolls
As midnight approaches on December 31, temples across Japan begin striking their great bronze bells. The number 108 matches the count of bonnō, the worldly desires and attachments that Buddhism says afflict the human heart; each deep toll is meant to release one of them, so that listeners cross into the new year unburdened. Many temples strike 107 times in the old year and reserve the final toll for the moment after midnight. The slow, spreading sound of joya no kane, familiar from television broadcasts of the famous bells, is for many Japanese the very sound of the year turning.
Ringing the bell yourself
Plenty of temples let visitors join the line and strike the bell, sometimes limited to 108 tickets handed out in the evening, sometimes open to all comers in groups. Dress warmly, arrive early for ticketed bells, and put your weight into the swinging beam for one full, unhurried stroke. Afterward, many people walk straight on to a shrine for hatsumōde, sliding from the temple bell that closes one year into the shrine prayer that opens the next.
Common questions
- Why 108 times?
The count matches the bonnō, the 108 worldly desires and attachments of Buddhist teaching. Each toll symbolically releases one, cleansing listeners for the new year.
- Can visitors strike the bell?
At many temples, yes. Some distribute 108 numbered tickets on the evening of December 31, others let everyone strike in groups. Arrive early and ask at the temple office.
- Is joya no kane a temple or shrine event?
A temple one: the bell and the concept of the 108 desires are Buddhist. Many people ring in the year at a temple and then continue to a shrine for hatsumōde.