Year-End Bell Ringing Ceremony at the Japanese Friendship Bell on Shelter Island (Dec 31) An ancient Japanese tradition of peace and renewal.NEW

The Buddhist Temple of San Diego cordially invites you to its traditional year-end events.

1402 Shelter Island Drive, hosted by the Buddhist Temple of San Diego. Because it is alcohol-free and family-friendly, this Buddhist ritual has become a meaningful year-end tradition for many San Diegans, Buddhist or not. 

December 31, 11:30 pm (at the Friendship Bell)
YEAR-END BELL-RINGING CEREMONY at the Japanese Friendship Bell on Shelter Island,

The coincidental view of the fireworks across the bay will highlight the first hour of the New Year. Free and the public welcome. Dress warmly, drive safely!

Information
For more information, call (619) 239-0897 or e-mail info@btsd.net.

More Details

Location
Yokohama Friendship Bell, San Diego - Japanese Friendship Bell on Shelter Island (1958), 1401 Shelter Island Dr., San Diego, CA 92106

New Year's Events

 
Three opportunities for peace & calm
Services and Events continue on New Year’s Eve and Day

We offer two services at our Temple, as well as one at the Shelter Island San Diego-Yokohama Friendship Bell, to help ease into a New Year of peace and calm. Please choose the event that’s right for you.

December 31
At 6 p.m., join us for Joya-E at the Temple. With presiding minister Rev. Maribeth Smith, we conduct a short service in the Hondo (main hall) and a chance to help us ring in the New Year. After paying our respects to Amida Buddha, attendees are invited to ring our Kansho (bell) 108 times, a Japanese Buddhist tradition. Everyone in attendance gets a chance to ring the bell one or more times.

At 11:30 p.m., join us for Joya-no-Kane at the Yokohama Friendship Bell. , we get a chance to ring this large Bonsho-style bell, weighing two tons in cast bronze, similar to the huge Temple Bells in Japan. To strike the bell, we use a hanging log on a lanyard! Before we ring the bell we present a super-brief chant and discuss the history of the Yokohama Friendship Bell. Most of the year, the bell is unavailable to the public. We are grateful to the Port Commission for providing us the opportunity to make it available to the public.

January 1
At 10 a.m. at the Temple, join us for Shuso-E. In this short service we welcome the New Year by paying our respects to Amida Buddha and dedicate ourselves to the Dharma for another year. Rev. Smitty will officiate. Sometimes the chairperson playfully discusses the change to a new year under the Asian Zodiac; 2025 is the year of the snake.

Translations and Traditions
• Joya-E. Jo (除) means “to throw out” and Ya (夜) means “night,” and most New Year’s Eves this is a night-time service, but can be held in daylight as we did in 2024. We take advantage of this service to cast out the troubles of the past year and begin the new year with new resolutions and a clear head. We assemble before the shrine of Amida Buddha to quietly recollect the happenings of the year and to rejoice in the blessings of Amida. (Edited from explanation by Seattle Buddhist Temple.)

• Joya no Kane. As shown above, Jo (除) means “to throw out” and Ya (夜) means “night.” Kane (鐘) means “bell.” The particle no (の) links Joya to Kane. So Joya no Kane refers specifically to the ritual ringing of the bell to allow us to ring out the old and ring in the new. The ritual specifies the bell should be rung at least108 times.

• Shuso-E. Originally a gathering to hope for a good harvest for the coming year, the observance was adapted within the Jodo Shinshu tradition for focusing on the Buddha’s teachings, as a way for us to correct our path or rededicate ourselves as needed.

• The Number 108. For an explanation of the symbolism, behind the number 108, see here.