What Is the Kiyomizudera Temple Bell Tower?
The Kiyomizudera Temple Bell Tower (清水寺鐘楼, Kiyomizu-dera Shōrō) is the bell tower of Banshu Kiyomizudera on Mount Mitake in Hiraki, Kato City, Hyogo Prefecture, dated by the Agency for Cultural Affairs to 1919 and entered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on June 7, 1999.
The previous bell tower burned in the fire of 1913. The temple's own map of the grounds gives 1920 for the rebuilding, one year later than the Agency's date. The Bell Tower covers 57 square meters and stands partway up the stairway from the Great Lecture Hall to the Konpon Chudo, west of a landing and facing east.
Why the Bell Tower Was Registered
The Kiyomizudera Temple Bell Tower was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property for being a model of form. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a bell tower in the traditional manner: a hip-and-gable roof of hongawara tiles over a Hakamagoshi base. The hakamagoshi is a flared, boarded skirt wrapped around the lower story beneath the bell chamber, and the name compares it to the pleated trousers called hakama.
Takeda Goichi, who planned the rebuilding of the whole mountain, also designed the bell. It was cast by the Oigo foundry of Takaoka in Toyama Prefecture, and the temple says its inscription was written by Yoshida, then head of the Tendai school. Building and bell were both shaped within the same rebuilding plan.
What to Look For at the Bell Tower
Two-Step Brackets on a Small Building
Look up under the eaves of the Kiyomizudera Temple Bell Tower and you see bracket sets that step out twice from the top of each post. Below, the much larger Great Lecture Hall has brackets that step out only once, so the 57-square-meter Bell Tower carries the more elaborate bracketing. Its eaves are double, with rafters spaced a little wider than in the close-set style.
A Place on the Stairway
The Kiyomizudera Temple Bell Tower sits off the west side of a landing, its front turned to the stairway. Pilgrims climbing or descending see the flare of the skirt and the brackets above at roughly eye level. Pause on the landing and look at it head-on.
The bronze bell hanging in the upper story is a Taisho-era bell to Takeda's design. It is a case of one architect deciding the form of a bell as well as its building, so give the bell's outline a look too.
Visiting the Bell Tower
The exterior of the Kiyomizudera Temple Bell Tower can be seen from the stairway between the Great Lecture Hall and the Konpon Chudo during temple hours, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with last entry at 4:30 p.m. The temple has not announced that visitors may strike the bell, so ask before touching it.
The stairway runs 80 steps from the Great Lecture Hall, landings included. Directions to the temple and admission fees are gathered on the Kiyomizudera Temple (Kato) page.
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Q&A
- When was the Kiyomizudera Temple Bell Tower built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to 1919, while the temple's map of the grounds gives 1920 for the rebuilding. The previous bell tower burned in 1913.
- Why is the Kiyomizudera Temple Bell Tower a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on June 7, 1999, as a model of form. It follows the traditional design of a tiled hip-and-gable roof over a flared hakamagoshi base.
- Who made the bell of the Kiyomizudera Temple Bell Tower?
- The bell was designed by Takeda Goichi and cast by the Oigo foundry in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture. The temple says the inscription was written by Yoshida, head of the Tendai school.
- Where is the Kiyomizudera Temple Bell Tower?
- It stands partway up the stairway from the Great Lecture Hall to the Konpon Chudo, on the west side of a landing and facing east, so you see its front as you climb.
- What is special about the brackets of the Kiyomizudera Temple Bell Tower?
- Its bracket sets step out twice from each post, and the eaves are double. Although the building covers only 57 square meters, its bracketing is more elaborate than that of the Great Lecture Hall below.
Basic Information
| Name | Kiyomizudera Temple Bell Tower |
|---|---|
| Location | 1194 Hiraki, Kato City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered June 7, 1999 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 57 square meters |
| Owner | Religious Corporation Kiyomizudera Temple |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable during temple hours (admission fee) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Kiyomizudera Temple Bell Tower (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00001133
- Cultural Heritage Online: Kiyomizudera Temple Bell Tower (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/181043
- Kato City: Kiyomizudera Temple Bell Tower (Japanese)
- https://www.city.kato.lg.jp/kakukanogoannai/kyouikushinkoubu/shogaigakushuka/bunkazai/siteibunkazai/tourokuyuukeibunkazai/1545444257869.html
- Banshu Kiyomizudera Official Website: Grounds Map and Admission (Japanese)
- https://kiyomizudera.net/
Last verified: 2026.10.04
