About this episode

The episode explores the ritual of ringing the Joya no Kane bell at a Kyoto temple and reflects on winter's silence as preparation for the New Year.

For the first episode of the New Year, I turn the microphone around to share one of my own favourite sounds: the Joya no Kane bell. Recorded at Tanjoji temple in Fushimi-ku, this episode explores the ritual of ringing the temple bell 108 times to banish our worldly desires ( bonnō ). I also take a winter walk from the stark beauty of Jojakko-ji to the sacred halls of Shoren-in, exploring how the silence of winter prepares us for the resonance of the New Year. A slow, meditative listen for anyone recovering from the busy-ness of the holiday season. Find more about my sound walks at kyotoinsound.com .

People in this episode

Host: SJF

Topics covered

• New Year
• temple rituals
• soundscapes
• winter walks
• meditation
• Kyoto culture

Keywords

• Joya no Kane
• Kyoto
• temple bell
• winter walk
• meditative sound
• New Year
• bonnō

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Kyoto, Tanjoji temple, Fushimi-ku, Jojakko-ji, Shoren-in

More episodes of The Kyoto, in Sound Podcast

• The Voice of the Commuter Trains: A morning spent at Umekōji Park | Kyoto, in Sound • Episode 07 · February 20, 2026 · 9 min
• Finding calm in the noise of Kyoto | Kyoto, in Sound • Episode 05 · December 14, 2025 · 7 min
• E04 • Nature's Prayer · November 13, 2025 · 8 min
• E03 • Life-Affirming Sounds · October 16, 2025 · 8 min
• E02 • The Sounds of Autumn · September 11, 2025 · 10 min
• E01 • Suzaku Garden · August 11, 2025 · 9 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Kyoto, in Sound Podcast podcast page.