Photo/Illutration Priests toll a bell in a rehearsal for New Year’s Eve at Chion-in temple in Kyoto on Dec. 27. (Kenta Sujino)

The terms “ryuzu,” “ike no ma” and “koma no tsume” refer to the top, midsection and bottom, respectively, of large bells found at Buddhist temples throughout Japan.

Anyone familiar with these names must be thoroughly knowledgeable about the subject.

The part where a suspended beam strikes the bell is called “tsukiza.”

“The position of the tsukiza has been gradually lowered over the course of more than 1,000 years,” noted Hideharu Motoi, 66, chairman of Oigo Works Co., a castings manufacturer based in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, which has been in operation since the Edo Period (1603-1867).

According to Motoi, the sound has also changed over the centuries, from a higher metallic clang to a deeper bong.

“Bonsho” temple bells were introduced to Japan together with Buddhism. They were mostly slim in shape but were replaced over time with stouter models with thicker rims.

“Today, the bells in Japan have a simple sound with a lingering resonance, which reflects the Japanese aesthetic of ‘wabi sabi’ (transience and imperfection),” Motoi explained.

Chinese and South Korean bells make clamorous metallic sounds like gongs. In contrast, he went on, the sound of Japanese bells is characterized by its serene note that carries far.

The ideal bell Japanese artisans strive to make must “ring out over 1 ‘ri’ (approximately 4 kilometers), resonate over 1 ri and reach 1 ri.”

In retrospect, history has not been kind to temple bells in Japan.

Many were discarded amid an anti-Buddhist movement during the Meiji Era (1868-1912). When World War II began, the bells were surrendered and melted down under the metal collection ordinance.

A reproduction boom arrived after the war. But demand has plummeted in recent years due to decreases in the numbers of temples and parishioners.

Motoi’s foundry filed for bankruptcy protection under the Civil Rehabilitation Law this summer and is in the process of restructuring.

Today is New Year’s Eve.

I pray that temple bells around the nation will toll more powerfully and with greater compassion than in any past year to drive away the novel coronavirus pandemic and give encouragement to master bell artisans everywhere.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Dec. 31

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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