From Daifukuji to Hondoji
The Temple Bell at Hondoji, registered simply as 梵鐘 (bonshō), inscribed with the year 1278 and kept at Hondoji Temple in Hiraga, Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture, is a Kamakura-period bronze bell designated an Important Cultural Property in 1977. It stands 130 cm tall with a mouth 70 cm across.
It was cast by Onakatomi Kanemori, a founder based in Osakabe district of Kazusa Province, now Osakabe in Nagara Town. Chiba Prefecture thinks he came from the same workshop as the maker of the 1264 bell at Ganzoji in Nagara, noting shared features such as the use of Sanskrit script.
A Rewritten Inscription
One panel of the central zone gives the date 1278 and the name of Daifukuji at Muzaki in the Into estate of Shimosa, a temple the Agency for Cultural Affairs places in present-day Sakura. The fourth panel adds that the bell was moved in 1482 to Hondoji at Hiraga.
Each of the four panels holds three circles on lotus bases. They were first cast with Sanskrit seed syllables for the Twelve Heavenly Generals; these have been ground away and replaced with the names of Shakyamuni, the bodhisattva Jogyo, Nichiren, Nichiro, Nichijitsu and later abbots. Chiba Prefecture suggests that when the bell came to Hondoji, the prayers carried by its daily voice changed with it.
The Bell's Form
Cast in three sections, the body divides from top to bottom into upper band, boss zone, central panels, middle band, lower field and lower band. Flying clouds run around the upper band and an arabesque around the lower, with the bosses in five rows of five. Two striking points, in line with the dragon-head loop, take the form of eight-petalled single lotuses.
Hondoji's website calls this Temple Bell the second oldest in the prefecture. It was cast 14 years after the Ganzoji bell, and the two, probably from the same workshop, hold first and second place among the prefecture's old bells.
Visiting
According to Hondoji, the bell tower in its grounds is a thatched structure two bays square, while the original Temple Bell is kept inside the treasure hall. No information on opening the treasure hall has been found, so contact the temple in advance (tel. 047-346-2121) if you want to see the bell itself.
Hondoji is a Nichiren temple at 63 Hiraga, Matsudo, known as the hydrangea temple, about 10 minutes' walk from Kita-Kogane Station on the JR Joban Line. It is open 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (last entry 4:30 p.m.); during paid-entry seasons the hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (last entry 4:00 p.m.).
Q&A
- Can I see the Temple Bell at Hondoji?
- The original is kept in the treasure hall. No information on opening the hall has been found, so contact Hondoji in advance.
- When was the Hondoji Temple Bell made?
- Its inscription is dated 1278. It first belonged to Daifukuji in Shimosa and was moved to Hondoji in 1482.
- How big is the Hondoji Temple Bell?
- It is 130 cm tall with a mouth 70 cm across.
- What is inscribed on the Hondoji Temple Bell?
- The original seed syllables of the Twelve Heavenly Generals were ground away and replaced with the names of Shakyamuni, Jogyo, Nichiren and later abbots.
- How do I get to Hondoji to see the Temple Bell, and when is it open?
- It is about 10 minutes' walk from Kita-Kogane Station on the JR Joban Line, open 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., or 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in paid-entry seasons.
Basic Information
| Name | Temple Bell (梵鐘) |
|---|---|
| Location | 63 Hiraga, Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture (Hondoji Temple) |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (craft) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1977/6/11 (Showa 52) |
| Quantity | 1 bell |
| Dimensions | Height 130 cm, mouth diameter 70 cm |
| Owner | Hondoji Temple |
| Public Access | Original kept in the treasure hall (contact the temple in advance) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs database: Temple Bell (Hondoji)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/201/7155
- Chiba Prefecture: Temple Bell (inscribed Kenji 4)
- https://www.pref.chiba.lg.jp/kyouiku/bunkazai/bunkazai/n141-014.html
- Hondoji: guide to the grounds
- https://www.hondoji.net/play.html
- Matsudo City: Hondoji
- https://www.city.matsudo.chiba.jp/miryoku/kankoumiryokubunka/odekakemap/odekakemap/bunkazai-map/shishitei/si2.html
Last verified: 2026.09.26