YOKOSUKA, Kanagawa -- An event was held in this east Japan city to reflect on the history of a temple bell returned to Japan after its confiscation by the United States at the end of World War II.
After being brought back to the country 62 years ago, the bell is considered a symbol of friendship between the U.S. and Japan. Around 60 people representing both nations attended the event at Jodoji temple in Yokosuka to commemorate peace and recall the forgotten history of its return as it was sounded.
The hanging bell was made by famed craftsman Kimura Shogen and others in 1747. Made of bronze, it measures 60 centimeters across, 1.2 meters in height and weighs about 272 kilograms.
The bell was looked after with care at the family temple for William Adams (1564-1620), the first Englishman to land in Japan, who later became one of very few "Western samurai," taking the Japanese name Miura Anjin. Miura played an important role as diplomatic advisor to the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu.
The bell was handed over to the Japanese Imperial Army in July 1945, after which, it was taken by U.S. forces as a spoil of war and kept in the city of Atlanta, Georgia.
However, when the city of Atlanta discovered upon research that the bell belonged to Jodoji, the mayor decided the right thing to do was to return it to its origins. With the cooperation of the U.S. Embassy in Japan and Rotary International branches from both countries, the U.S. Navy brought the bell back to Japan on a vessel, and its return was officiated on May 30, 1961. However, as the temple's bell tower had been torn down, there was not yet an opportunity for it to ring.
Hearing about its history from the temple's chief priest Michio Hemmi, 69, at a celebration honoring Miura this April, Carl Lahti, Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Japan, was deeply moved. The temple and Lahti's headquarters coordinated to celebrate the bell's restoration by ringing it on the anniversary of its return.
At the event, a high-pitched sound rang out as Lahti and Hemmi struck the bell with a wooden mallet as it hung within a makeshift bell tower on the temple grounds. The two shook hands in front of the bell. Lahti said that the bell is a symbol of their mutual respect and that the gathering tells the tale of their deepening bonds since the bell's return.
After first striking the bell, Hemmi said, "This is the outcome of many decisions that, one by one, have led to the restoration of the bell. Hearing its tone, I feel the weight of history. I wish to continue our connection through this sound."
