Daito bell Koyashiro 大塔の鐘

Bell tower at the heart of Koyasan

On my visit to Koyasan, the Shingon Buddhist stronghold, one of the most impressive sights for me was Koyashiro, the ivory bell tower at the heart of the Kompo Daito temple complex. The bell, a project of Kobo Daishi that was completed by his successor, is the fourth largest in Japan. It's struck five times a day marking the time, but timeless in its own way. On an evening walk, I got to hear it rung at 9 p.m., a fitting way to finish my day on the mountain.