The New Year’s Eve bell-ringing event at Tokyo’s Zōjō-ji temple is called Joya no Kane.
Zōjō-ji, a major Buddhist temple in Tokyo, is known for its New Year’s Eve observances, including the ringing of its large bell. The ceremony is part of Joya no Kane, the broader Buddhist tradition in which bells are rung 108 times to symbolize the cleansing or release of worldly attachments.
Zōjō-ji stands near Tokyo Tower and is associated with the Tokugawa family and the Jōdo-shū school of Japanese Buddhism. The temple’s event is sometimes confused with hatsumōde, the first shrine or temple visit of the New Year. Hatsumōde is a separate custom that generally follows the midnight transition, while Joya no Kane specifically refers to the bell-ringing ceremony.