It isn’t every day that you have the opportunity to learn from someone whose expertise is backed by roughly 400 years of experience, but the business of bells is ancient. In Japan, where bell making traditions span millennia, no narrative of the country’s campanological prowess would be complete without a nod to Hideharu Motoi – 14th in a family line of bell makers dating back to the mid-Edo Period (1603-1868).
Mr. Motoi’s family bell foundry, Oigo Works Co. in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, has contributed some 20,000 bells to the soundscape of Japan, many of which replaced the estimated 70,000 bells (approximately 90% of the bonshō then in existence) that were destroyed and smelted into armament in Japan during World War II.
Even today, orders are still coming in from temples replacing the bells they surrendered during the war. The peace bell at Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park, memorializing those killed in the atomic bombing, was cast by his company. It’s fair to say Mr. Motoi is both the standard bearer for authentic Japanese foundry arts, as well as an ambassador for bonshō the world over.
As we continue to shine a light on the bell heritage of Japan, we reached out to Mr. Motoi for help answering a few questions on how Japanese temple bells are made. His responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Are there common phrases or text inscribed across most bells?
You are free to choose the characters you want to put on your bonshō. For bells destined for temples, this text is mostly determined by Buddhist traditions and rituals. Other inscriptions may include the name of the temple where the bell will be installed and the names of the donors who enabled the casting. In the case of a bell for peace, memorial, requiem, or commemoration, which is not related to any religion, you are free to include any characters. Each bell’s inscription is unique to itself.
Image: Detail of the characters inscribed on the bonshō at Kōdai-ji Temple in the Higashiyama historical area of Kyoto, Japan.
What is the meaning behind the styling of the ryūzu as two dragons?
Good question! Bonshō are imbued with much symbolism and the dragon head has an ancient connection and sacred meaning. Once upon a time, the shape of a bonshō was compared to that of a whale – rotund and cavernous. It is said that the dragon, the whale's natural enemy, held it down from above to prevent it from making a flapping or undignified sound.
The dragon is also a favored motif in Zen temples, so it’s a natural fit to adorn a bonshō. Often, each side of the ryūzu, or suspension loop, is one complete dragon head, biting down on the domed crown of the bell called the kasagata. The two heads are connected to each other at the topmost aspect of the bell by the symbol of a sacred Buddhist jewel.
Image: A double-headed dragon forms the ryūzu, or suspension loop, atop a bronze bonshō with rich verdigris patina.
How is the striker formed?
All bonshō are sounded by striking them from the outside with a beam suspended on ropes or chain. This swinging wooden beam is called a shu-moku. Its size is directly proportionate to the size of the bell. There is a theory that the weight of the shu-moku should be 5% to 8% of the weight of the bell. The wood should be completely dried, stable, and free from any cracks. In our shu-moku, we use the core of a pine tree and process it on a lathe to get uniform consistency and smoothness.
Smaller hanshō are sounded with a handheld wooden mallet, but if the bell is particularly old or distinguished, it is very good and appropriate that it should be rung with a shu-moku, as well. Some shu-moku have the striking end wrapped in leather, softening the strike and preventing the wood ends from splitting. While important to follow traditional craftsmanship and design, ultimately the best striker or beam is the one that makes the bell sound truest.
Image: A Buddhist monk tolls a bell by swinging a wooden beam, called a shu-moku, before prayer at a monastery in Kamakura, Japan.
Our gratitude to Hideharu Motoi and Oigo Works Co. for providing this wonderful insight into the making of the mighty bonshō.
Cover image: Hideharu Motoi, a 14th-generation bell maker, stands beside a recently-installed hanshō and shu-moku in a purpose-built belfry in Japan. Courtesy: Oigo Works Co.
