Bonsho (Temple Bell)

Cast in 1255, this 2.7-ton bell is two years younger than Kenchoji Temple itself and is designated a National Treasure. Its inscription, written by founding abbot Lanxi Daolong, is the earliest written proof that the temple was dedicated to Zen practice from its opening. While most of the temple burned during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the bell survived, and its status as a national treasure later spared it from being melted down for the war effort in World War II. The bell tower keeps its thatched roof while neighboring buildings have tile, and the bell still rings daily between 5 and 6 p.m.