December 31, 2022, around 22:20 ~ "Joya no kane - Bell Ringing on New Year's Eve" The Great Bell of Chion-in Temple is known as one of the three major temple bells in Japan. On New Year's Eve, 17 monks, including one main monk and 16 submonks, will ring the bell 108 times in unison, shouting "Eihitotsu" and "Sore". Let's get rid of the worldly desires of the past year and welcome the new year. ★Proceeds from Super Chat and Super Sticker will be used to restore the cultural assets of Chion-in Temple. Chion-in Temple Homepage https://www.chion-in.or.jp/ Twitter / chion_in Instagram / chion_in Facebook / sohonzan.chionin [History of the Great Bell] Chion-in Temple, the head temple of the Jodo sect, lost many halls, including the Goei-do Hall, the Daihojo Hall, and the Kohojo Hall, in a fire in 1633. The 32nd abbot of Chion-in Temple, Oyo Reigan, decided to work with his followers to cast a large bell, and called for donations from all over the country. Three years after the fire, in 1636, he completed a huge bell measuring 3.3m in height, 2.8m in diameter, 30cm in thickness, and weighing 70t. This bell only bears the name of the bell, "Namu Amida Butsu," and the name of the caster, but there is no inscription detailing the history of the casting or the achievements of the caster. This is thought to be a consideration by Reigan to avoid future disputes and disasters. Three monks around the bell perform a bow (raihai) every time a strike is made. A monk standing next to the striker gives the signal to strike the bell, allocates the time, and counts the 108 strikes. As part of welcoming the new year, the purpose of this ceremony is to sweep away all of the desires that have accumulated over the course of a year. The bell is struck 108 times, which represents the number of desires that we hold. The sound of Chion-in's bell on New Year's Eve is one of the poetic charms of winter in Kyoto. One more!) and “sōre”(Now!). 【Ōgane (Large Bell)】 With a height of 3.3 meters and a diameter of 2.7 meters, this bell weighs seventy tons. This massive bell was cast in 1636, during the time of Ōyo Reigan, the 32nd chief high priest of Chion-in. Also, the tower which supports this bell was built in 1678, during the time of Genyo Manmu, the 38th chief high priest of Chion-in. The tower has a quiet, yet dignified design, which makes it suited to house one of the largest bells in Japan.