The sound of Furin makes us a little cooler in hot summer.

 The hot days of summer are starting in Japan. This everyday heat makes me worn out. By the way, during summer, in many Shinto shrines they are hanging “furin”, a furin is a kind of small bell that is hung under the eaves in summer in Japan. They are made of metal or glasses. When the wind blows, they ring. The sound makes us a little cooler in hot summer.　

 This is a typical furin made of glass. There is also a strip of paper called tanzaku that hangs from the bell’s clapper. When a breeze comes, the tanzaku swings and causes the clapper to hit the bell. This results in the bell’s ringing. By the way, this tanzaku reads Nangu-Taisha-shrine.

 Today, I went to Nangu-Taisha-shrine located in Tarui Town, Gifu Prefecture, approximately 30 km away from my house.  On the first several days of January every year, many people go to visit this shrine to make their wishes come true.  There was always a very long line-up for praying the deities of the shrine. 

But there was no one here today. Am I the only one?  It's unbelievable! 

Many furins are hanging. An Instagram-worthy wind bell spot to cool down during the scorching heat!  Sorry, too exaggerated.

The sound of wind bells in a short movie.

This facility is called a “Chozuya”  where visitors purify their hands and mouth as a ritual before visiting the shrine.

Many furins are hung here too.

The sound of wind bells, part 2