Difference between revisions of "Hongokucho bell"
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| + | [[File:Hongokucho-bell.JPG|right|thumb|320px|Replica of the Hongoku-chô bell at the [[Edo-Tokyo Museum]]]] | ||
| + | *''Other Names'': 時の鐘 ''(toki no kane)'' | ||
*''Japanese'': 本石町の鐘 ''(Hongokuchou no kane)'' | *''Japanese'': 本石町の鐘 ''(Hongokuchou no kane)'' | ||
| − | [[Tokugawa shogunate|Shogun]] [[Tokugawa Hidetada]] donated to the city of [[Edo]] in [[1603]] a bell from [[Edo castle]], to serve to announce time for the city. It was placed in a bell tower in the Hongokuchô neighborhood, quite close to [[Nihonbashi]], and continued to call out the time throughout much of the [[Edo period]]. | + | [[Tokugawa shogunate|Shogun]] [[Tokugawa Hidetada]] donated to the city of [[Edo]] in [[1603]]<ref>Screech writes that it was 1603; gallery labels at the [[Edo-Tokyo Museum]] give the date as [[1626]] that a bell was moved to Hongokuchô from Edo castle.</ref> a bell from [[Edo castle]], to serve to announce time for the city. It was placed in a bell tower on a 200 ''[[Japanese Measurements|tsubo]]'' piece of land in the Hongokuchô neighborhood, quite close to [[Nihonbashi]], and continued to call out the time throughout much of the [[Edo period]]. |
Time was kept, and the bell maintained and rung by a series of men named [[Tsuji Genshichi]], a name passed down from generation to generation in a hereditary fashion. The upkeep costs were paid by an extra tax for that purpose of an extra one ''[[monme|mon]]'' per month, paid by the 410 homes closest to the bell tower. | Time was kept, and the bell maintained and rung by a series of men named [[Tsuji Genshichi]], a name passed down from generation to generation in a hereditary fashion. The upkeep costs were paid by an extra tax for that purpose of an extra one ''[[monme|mon]]'' per month, paid by the 410 homes closest to the bell tower. | ||
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==References== | ==References== | ||
*Screech, Timon. "An Iconography of Nihon-bashi." in ''Theories and Methods in Japanese Studies: Current State and Future Developments''. Bonn University Press, 2008. pp330-331. | *Screech, Timon. "An Iconography of Nihon-bashi." in ''Theories and Methods in Japanese Studies: Current State and Future Developments''. Bonn University Press, 2008. pp330-331. | ||
| + | <references/> | ||
[[Category:Edo Period]] | [[Category:Edo Period]] | ||
Latest revision as of 17:48, 24 August 2013
- Other Names: 時の鐘 (toki no kane)
- Japanese: 本石町の鐘 (Hongokuchou no kane)
Shogun Tokugawa Hidetada donated to the city of Edo in 1603[1] a bell from Edo castle, to serve to announce time for the city. It was placed in a bell tower on a 200 tsubo piece of land in the Hongokuchô neighborhood, quite close to Nihonbashi, and continued to call out the time throughout much of the Edo period.
Time was kept, and the bell maintained and rung by a series of men named Tsuji Genshichi, a name passed down from generation to generation in a hereditary fashion. The upkeep costs were paid by an extra tax for that purpose of an extra one mon per month, paid by the 410 homes closest to the bell tower.
The bell was destroyed by fire several times, in 1657, 1666, 1679, and 1711, but was always replaced. The latest 1711 replacement is still extant today, and located in nearby Jûshi Park.
Though the Hongoku-chô bell originally rang the time alone, a system of eight bells was later established, each of the eight bells - in Ueno, Asakusa, Akasaka, Honjô, Shiba, Reigaya, and Yotsuya - taking their cues from the Hongoku-chô bell, and re-ringing the time, that is, passing on the message of the announcement of the time.
References
- Screech, Timon. "An Iconography of Nihon-bashi." in Theories and Methods in Japanese Studies: Current State and Future Developments. Bonn University Press, 2008. pp330-331.
- ↑ Screech writes that it was 1603; gallery labels at the Edo-Tokyo Museum give the date as 1626 that a bell was moved to Hongokuchô from Edo castle.
