Toki no Kane (時の鐘)

Toki no Kane

Yakushi Jinja

Toki no Kane (時の鐘) is a three-story, 16-meter-tall bell tower located in the Saiwaicho area of Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture, and serves as a symbol of the city.

It is believed to have been originally built by Sakai Tadakatsu, the lord of the Kawagoe Domain, during the Kan'ei era (1627–1634). The current tower was reconstructed in the year following the Great Kawagoe Fire of 1893 which destroyed a third of the city.

Inari shrine

The bell rings four times a day — at 6:00 AM, 12:00 noon, 3:00 PM, and 6:00 PM. In 1996, the sound of the bell was selected as one of the "100 Soundscapes of Japan: Preserving Our Heritage" by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment.

Next to the tower is the Shinto shrine Yakushi Jinja (薬師神社), which visitors can access by walking beneath the bell tower. Beside it stands a small subordinate Inari shrine.