Temple Bell (Kanzeon-ji Temple)
| Location | City of Dazaifu |
|---|---|
| Designation | National Treasure |
| Emblem |  |
This is the oldest temple bell in Japan, belonging to the bell tower of Kanzeon-ji Temple. This is the very bell that Sugawara no Michizane wrote about in a Chinese-style poem titled “Mon wo Idezu”. It is still used today, and rings as clearly as it did in ancient times.
The Oldest Existing Buddhist Temple Bell
This is the temple bell of Kanzeon-ji Temple, of which Sugawara no Michizane spoke in his Chinese Poem “Mon wo idezu”: “I see the faint color of tiles at Tofuro, hear only the sound of the bell at Kanzeon-ji Temple”. This bell is said to be a “sibling” of the Myoshin-ji Temple Bell in Kyoto because they were made in the same factory, and is famous as one of the oldest temple bells still in existence in Japan. While it is believed that the Myoshin-ji Bell was cast in Kasuya District in 698 based on inscriptions on the bell that state “Year of the Bojutsu” and “Kasuya District”, the bell at Kanzeon-ji is believed to be older based on its patterns. The Kanzeon-ji bell also bears the inscription "Kamitsumike," indicating the present-day Town of Koge in Chikujo, Fukuoka Prefecture. The temple bell was an advanced cultural artifact for the time, suggesting there was an exchange of technology between workers that made casting possible.
Dazaifu City Characters/Tabito the Traveler, Otomo no Tabitto, Princess Reiwa
This bell is currently in use and hangs in the bell tower within the Kanzeon-ji Temple grounds. Come listen to the sound of the bell on New Year's Eve and during the Shinto God Procession Ceremony in September.
You’ll definitely want to examine the bell up close. The lotus and arabesque patterns and the dragon head holding the bell all speak to the international exchange that took place 1,300 years ago.
The bell is often out on display at museums all over Japan. This means there are times where you unfortunately cannot see the bell, but if that happens, just come back and try again!
Access Information
Address
Kanzeon-ji Temple：818-0101 5-6 Kanzeon-ji, Dazaifu, Fukuoka
By Train
About 40 min on foot from Nishitetsu Gojo Station
By Car
About 20 min from the Dazaifu IC on the Kyushu Expressway
About the Western Capital
The “Western Capital”, created in Tsukushi 1300 years ago. Cultural assets speaking to the magnificence of this city of international exchange that flourished in East Asia are scattered across the cities of Chikushino, Kasuga, Onojo, Dazaifu, Nakagawa, and Umi in Fukuoka Prefecture as well as the town of Kiyama in Saga Prefecture.