Joya no Kane (Tenda Kuyo-e) – New Year's Eve Bell Ringing

Joya no Kane (Tenda Kuyo-e) – New Year's Eve Bell Ringing

On New Year's Eve night, Benten-yama, located within the grounds of Senso-ji, hosts the Tenda Kuyo-e, also known as Joya no Kane, the bell ringing that closes out the year. The solemn sound of the bell is said to dispel the 108 earthly desires. Each strike echoes through the hushed temple grounds and quietly cleanses the hearts of worshippers.

As the bell rings out, the grounds fill with people who also come for their first shrine and temple visit of the year, and the approach from Kaminarimon to the main hall is wrapped in the excitement of the year's end. Listening to the lingering resonance of the bell in the chilly December air while looking back on the year gone by is a scene unique to Asakusa at year's end.

This event, handed down since long ago, is also an important milestone for local people as they welcome the new year. On the faces of those gathered in the grounds, gratitude for the past year mingles with hope for the new one, and a solemn atmosphere lingers along with the sound of the bell.

Even amid the bustle of the year's end, this is a moment when you may wish to stop, and put your hands together in quiet prayer. When you visit Asakusa, why not listen to the bell at Benten-yama and savor the close of the year?