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Thu: 1 PM–8 PM
Fri–Mon: 10 AM–5 PM
Tue–Wed: Closed
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200 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
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Celebrate Japanese New Year

Marking the passage of time and signaling new beginnings, the New Year is cause for celebration around the world. In Japan, the New Year is ushered in on Jan. 1 with celebrations taking place on New Year’s Eve the night before. In preparation for the holiday, people clean and decorate their homes, make food, and pay off debts. On New Year’s Eve, soba noodles and mochi soup (ozoni) are eaten and temples host their annual bell-ringing ceremonies just before midnight. 

As part of this tradition, the temple bell (bonsho) is rung 108 times to represent the 108 earthly sins collected over the course of the year. Learn about the tradition of ringing the temple bell in this description by Reverend Gengo Akiba of Kojin-an Zen Center. 

For more than three decades, the Asian Art Museum has installed its Japanese temple bell on-site for the annual Bell Ringing Ceremony. (Read more about the bell, which was made by Tachibana Kyubei for Daienji Temple in Tajima province, Japan, in 1532.)  

 

The museum celebrates cultures from across Asia all year long. Learn more about our other Cultural Celebrations.

Organizers & Sponsors

Cultural Celebrations are made possible by Bank of America. Support for the Asian Art Museum’s Japanese Bell-Ringing Ceremony is provided by The Henri & Tomoye Takahashi Charitable Foundation.