Station bell
Encyclopedia
Under the Japanese ritsuryō
system, were bells of red copper issued by the central government or by local provincial government offices to travelling officials or messengers known as . Functioning as a proof of identity, they allowed them to procure horses and labour at post stations. These post stations were located every 30 ri
(16 kilometers) each providing between five and twenty messenger horses depending on the grade of the road
.
Depending on the rank of the emissary, the bells were marked with a number of notches regulating the number of horses that could be requested. A prince of royal blood of first rank would receive ten horses. On urgent dispatches the ekishi would ride with the bells ringing in order to be able to change horses at any time of day or night without delay.
These bells were also known as post road bells (ekiru no suzu) or stable bells (umaya no suzu). The system was established in the Taihō Code
from 701 and was in use until the end of the 12th century or the end of the Heian period
when it fell in disuse together with the demise of the centralized state.
A set of two station bells located on Dōgo island
in Okinoshima
, Shimane Prefecture
and known as has been designated as Important Cultural Property of Japan. Attached to the nomination is a six-legged Chinese style chest bestowed by Emperor Kōkaku
. The bells have been handed down in the Oki family whose members were associated with the and the regional administrators of Oki Province. They are currently located in the in Okinoshima. The two bells are of flat octagonal shape and made of cast copper. On one side of the trunk the character "駅" (station) is carved, and on the opposite side, the character "鈴" (bell). At the bottom of the bells three and four legs are attached respectively. They weigh in at 700 g (24.7 oz) and 770 g (27.2 oz) respectively. Before World War II
, the bells had been designated as National Treasure of Japan on April 30, 1935, but lost this status in the reorganisation of cultural property protection after the war when all previously designated National Treasures were demoted to Important Cultural Properties in 1950.
Ritsuryo
is the historical law system based on the philosophies of Confucianism and Chinese Legalism in Japan. The political system in accord to Ritsuryō is called "Ritsuryō-sei"...
system, were bells of red copper issued by the central government or by local provincial government offices to travelling officials or messengers known as . Functioning as a proof of identity, they allowed them to procure horses and labour at post stations. These post stations were located every 30 ri
Li (unit)
The li is a traditional Chinese unit of distance, which has varied considerably over time but now has a standardized length of 500 meters or half a kilometer...
(16 kilometers) each providing between five and twenty messenger horses depending on the grade of the road
Gokishichido
was the name for ancient administrative units organized in Japan during the Asuka Period , as part of a legal and governmental system borrowed from the Chinese...
.
Depending on the rank of the emissary, the bells were marked with a number of notches regulating the number of horses that could be requested. A prince of royal blood of first rank would receive ten horses. On urgent dispatches the ekishi would ride with the bells ringing in order to be able to change horses at any time of day or night without delay.
These bells were also known as post road bells (ekiru no suzu) or stable bells (umaya no suzu). The system was established in the Taihō Code
Taiho Code
The was an administrative reorganization enacted in 701 in Japan, at the end of the Asuka period. It was historically one of the . It was compiled at the direction of Prince Osakabe, Fujiwara no Fuhito and Awata no Mahito...
from 701 and was in use until the end of the 12th century or the end of the Heian period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
when it fell in disuse together with the demise of the centralized state.
A set of two station bells located on Dōgo island
Dogo, Shimane
Dōgo is the largest of the Oki Islands in the Sea of Japan, north of the Shimane peninsula . The largest city is Okinoshima.-By airplane:Japan Airlines offers two flights per day from Itami Airport, located in Osaka....
in Okinoshima
Okinoshima, Shimane
is a town located on Dōgo, one of the Oki Islands, in Shimane, Japan.Japan considers the disputed Liancourt Rocks to be a part of Okinoshima.As of January 2008, the town has an estimated population of 16,214. The total area is 242.97 km²....
, Shimane Prefecture
Shimane Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is Matsue. It is the second least populous prefecture in Japan, after its eastern neighbor Tottori. The prefecture has an area elongated from east to west facing the Chūgoku Mountain Range on the south side and to...
and known as has been designated as Important Cultural Property of Japan. Attached to the nomination is a six-legged Chinese style chest bestowed by Emperor Kōkaku
Emperor Kokaku
was the 119th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Kōkaku's reign spanned the years from 1780 through 1817.-Genealogy:...
. The bells have been handed down in the Oki family whose members were associated with the and the regional administrators of Oki Province. They are currently located in the in Okinoshima. The two bells are of flat octagonal shape and made of cast copper. On one side of the trunk the character "駅" (station) is carved, and on the opposite side, the character "鈴" (bell). At the bottom of the bells three and four legs are attached respectively. They weigh in at 700 g (24.7 oz) and 770 g (27.2 oz) respectively. Before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the bells had been designated as National Treasure of Japan on April 30, 1935, but lost this status in the reorganisation of cultural property protection after the war when all previously designated National Treasures were demoted to Important Cultural Properties in 1950.