Overview
- The Jodo sect’s head temple in Kyoto held its trial ringing on Dec. 27, drawing about 1,400 spectators at the great bell tower.
- Sixteen monks pulled ropes on the wooden beam as a seventeenth drew the main rope while leaning back to strike the bell in unison.
- The bell, cast in 1636, stands about 3.3 meters tall, spans roughly 2.8 meters in diameter, and weighs around 70 tons.
- This year’s New Year’s Eve observance uses paid advance reservations for safety, with about 2,200 bookings reported and registration now closed.
- The ringing is scheduled to begin around 10:40 p.m. on Dec. 31 and to sound 108 times, as a temple official said they offered prayers for peace.