Rengein Tanjoji Okunoin: Home of the World's Largest Great Bell

Rengein Tanjoji Okunoin, built on the slopes of Mount Shodai in Tamana City, Kumamoto Prefecture, is a Shingon Ritsu temple that enshrines Koen Daibosatsu, connected with Tamana, as its principal image. Originally arranged as a training hall, it is now widely known as a power spot for granting a single wish and for warding off misfortune. In the precincts rises the great temple bell called the Flying Dragon Bell, and together with a solemn five-story pagoda of traditional construction, it forms a grand temple complex.

Highlights

• The Flying Dragon Bell, said to be among the largest temple bells in the world. Its imposing form is spectacular
• Bell prayer in which worshippers too can strike the bell, its solemn tone ringing through the mountains
• A prayer hall renowned as a power spot for granting a single wish
• A solemn wooden five-story pagoda of traditional construction, dedicated in 1997
• Precincts where you can experience training such as sutra copying and seated meditation

Enjoying the Seasons

In spring the flowers of the precincts and in autumn the colored leaves that adorn the five-story pagoda are splendid, drawing many worshippers. On New Year's Eve the temple bustles with people seeking the bell, and in every season you can feel the solemn atmosphere of a place of prayer.

Access and Basic Information

• Location: 1512-77 Tsukiji, Tamana City, Kumamoto Prefecture (on the slopes of Mount Shodai, a few kilometers north of the main temple)
• By car: About 11 kilometers from the Kikusui Interchange on the Kyushu Expressway
• Public transit: One way is to take a Kyushu Sanko bus from Tamana Station on the JR Kagoshima Main Line
• Visiting: Please follow the temple's guidance for visiting hours and the times of the bell prayer

Practical Travel Notes

• Because it sits on a mountain slope, some sections of road are uphill, so allow extra care when driving
• If you wish to try the bell prayer, confirm the times in advance and arrive with time to spare
• The five-story pagoda and precincts are extensive, so shoes that are easy to walk in are recommended
• The main temple and the Okunoin are in separate locations, so check in advance to avoid mistaking your destination

A Word of Advice

The experience of striking the Flying Dragon Bell may be limited in time or numbers. Visit with time to spare, and place a single wish in your heart as you press your palms together.

📚 Sources

This article was edited as general worship information based on the guidance on viewing, bell prayers, and training experiences issued by Rengein Tanjoji Okunoin, public information issued by Tamana City and the local tourism association, and the temple’s public information on the Hiryu Bell and the five-story pagoda. The viewing hours and the times of the bell prayers may change according to the temple’s guidance. Before you set out, please confirm the latest details through official sources such as Rengein Tanjoji Okunoin and Tamana City.

Visitor Checklist

• Estimated time: About 30 minutes to 1 hour for a visit taking in the Hiryu Bell, the five-story pagoda, and the prayer hall
• What to bring: The pagoda and precincts are large, so wear comfortable shoes, and if you want to try the bell prayer, check the times in advance and allow extra time
• Access note: It is on the slope of Mt. Shodai with sections of sloped road, so drive with leeway
• Suggested route: View the Hiryu Bell, said to be among the largest in the world, try the bell prayer, tour the wooden five-story pagoda and prayer hall, and try training experiences such as sutra copying or seated meditation
• Confirm the destination: The main temple (Tanjoji) and Okunoin are in separate places, so check in advance so as not to mix them up

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Address: 1512-77 Tsuiji, Tamana City, Kumamoto Prefecture (phone 0968-74-3533)
• Reception hours for visits: 9:00-17:00 (last admission 16:30)
• Admission: 200 yen for adults, 150 yen for children
• Parking: 700 spaces, free of charge
• Access (by car): about 20 minutes from the Kikusui Interchange on the Kyushu Expressway heading toward Tamana. About 30 minutes from central Omuta City and about 50 minutes from central Kumamoto City
• Access (by train): about 10 minutes by taxi from Shin-Tamana Station on the Kyushu Shinkansen or from Tamana Station on the JR Kagoshima Main Line. Hakata Station to Shin-Tamana Station takes about 40 minutes by Shinkansen, and Kumamoto Station to Shin-Tamana Station about 10 minutes
• Temple bell prayer: held every day at 12 noon. Ordinary visitors can also strike the bell together with the monks. A formal prayer costs 5,000 yen (for up to 15 people; 250 yen for each additional person)
• Entry restriction at the five-storied hall: at present visitors cannot enter the second level or above of the five-storied pagoda (temple announcement). The view over Aso and the Ariake Sea from the top floor will have to wait until it reopens
• Sutra copying and zazen: sutra copying practice 1,000 yen (about 1 hour), zazen practice (ajikan meditation) 1,000 yen (about 1 hour), and the kudoku-gyo comprehensive training 3,000 yen (about 3 hours). All of them require a reservation in advance. They are suspended while the painting work is underway, so check whether they are being held before you apply
• Goshuin seal stamps: these are given out, but as the place to receive them and the fee are not announced officially, please check at the temple office
• Time needed: 40 minutes to 1 hour to walk around the bell tower, the Nio gate, the five-storied hall and the great Buddha. Allow half a day if you add the temple bell prayer or sutra copying
• Footing and steps: you walk the approach paths across grounds of 180,000 tsubo. This is a mountain temple with climbs and descents, so shoes that are easy to walk in are essential
• Strollers and wheelchairs: the grounds are extremely large with considerable differences in elevation, so it is safest to consult the temple office in advance about routes and whether they can be used
• In wet weather: each hall is under a roof, but you walk along open-air approach paths between one hall and the next. Bring rain gear
• Crowds: the Okunoin Grand Festival on November 3 (which also features a dedicatory sumo tournament), the Ryuka-kudari on June 12 and 13, the New Year's Eve bell on December 31, and the first prayer visits of the New Year in January are all busy
• Annual events: January - first prayer visits of the New Year / February - Setsubun bean throwing (around the first Sunday) and the potted plum blossom exhibition / June 12 and 13 - Ryuka-kudari / November 3 - Okunoin Grand Festival / December 23 - the completion of the eight-thousand-tablet great goma fire prayer and the ceremonial cleaning of the great temple bell / December 31 - the New Year's Eve bell
• Budget guide: it is easy on the wallet if you pay only the 200 yen admission. Even with sutra copying or zazen added, it starts from around 1,200 yen per person
• Check your destination: the main temple (Tanjoji) in the town and Okunoin in the mountains are separate places. Take care not to set the wrong destination on your car navigation system

📚 Sources

The reception hours for visits, the admission fee, the 700 free parking spaces, the travel times by car and by train, the dimensions and weight of the Hiryu Bell and its installation in Showa 51 (1976), the time and cost of the temple bell prayer, the fees, durations and reservation requirement for the sutra copying, zazen and kudoku-gyo practices, the restriction on entering the second level and above of the five-storied pagoda and the suspension of sutra copying and zazen during the painting work, the dates of the annual events, the 180,000 tsubo (60 hectares) of grounds, and the great Nio guardian statues of the Nio gate (3.9 meters in total height) were confirmed on the official website of Rengein Tanjoji Okunoin (the pages on access, the great temple bell, strolling the grounds, annual events, and the sutra copying and zazen experience). The figure of roughly 200,000 worshippers a year comes from the introduction on the Kumamoto Prefecture tourism website. The completion of Okunoin (November 3, Showa 53 / 1978), the dedication ceremony for the five-storied pagoda (April 12, Heisei 9 / 1997), the entry into eternal meditation of the priest Koen (June 13 in the first year of the Kao era) and the "Fuso Ryakuki" chronicle are based on descriptions in encyclopedias and reference works about Rengein Tanjoji. Details are subject to change, so please check official information before you set out.