The bell at Tokyo's Sensō-ji temple is traditionally rung 108 times during the New Year's Eve ceremony.
Sensō-ji, in Asakusa, is Tokyo's oldest and one of its best-known Buddhist temples. Its New Year's bell-ringing ceremony follows the wider Japanese practice called Joya no Kane. The 108 strikes symbolize the earthly desires or attachments that Buddhism identifies as causes of human suffering.
The final strokes are associated with leaving the old year's burdens behind. Visitors also take part in hatsumōde, the first shrine or temple visit of the new year, although hatsumōde and Joya no Kane are separate customs. Sensō-ji becomes especially busy around New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
The number 108 is not unique to Sensō-ji: Buddhist temples throughout Japan traditionally use the same count. The exact timing and public participation rules can vary, so the important identifying fact is the ritual's 108-bell pattern rather than a claim that every visitor rings the bell personally.