The Bell Tower

The original bell tower was built in 1829 but lost in the conflagration in the Edo period.
In 1870, the new bell tower was built at the right side of the main gate.
The roof of the original bell tower was a thatched roof but it was changed to the copper roof in 1954.
For the better sound effect, the three pots and the iron cover with holes were buried in the foundation of the bell tower.
For this reason, the sound of the bell is pleasant and the echo creates the deep vibrations.
The original bell was made in 1376 in the late Kamakura period.
It is the third oldest bell in Tokyo.
The bell is actually the oldest as it has been continuing to strike since it made.
It is a national important cultural property now.
The original bell was retired in September 2000 and moved to Shaka Hall.
The bell could escape the commandeered during the World War II.
It was because Showa Emperor when he visited Jindaiji, he said “Cherish the old ones” in 1922, even though it was a time of suffering from the shortages.
It is a fact that about 75,000 bells in Japan were requisitioned at that time and this episode suggests that Jindaiji’s bell was extremely valuable.
The bell now was remade in 2001.
The bell tells us the time at 5:00, 11:30 and 18:00 in summer-time and 6:00, 11:30 and 17:00 in winter-time.
The visitors can strike the bell on only New Year’s Eve (December 31).