Suzu (鈴) are round, hollow JapaneseShintobells that contains pellets that sound when agitated. They are somewhat like ajingle bell in form, though the materials produce a coarse, rolling sound.Suzu come in many sizes, ranging from tiny ones on good luck charms (calledomamori (お守り)) to large ones at shrine entrances.Suzu are, however, classified as small bells, since big bells are referred to askane.[1] The former is associated with Shinto and shrines while the latter is related to Buddhist temples and ceremonies.[1]
AtShinto shrines, largesuzu drape over entrances, as it is said that ringing them callskami, allowing one toacquire positive power and authority, whilerepelling evil. Handheld clusteredsuzu, similar to jingle bells, are used musically at Shinto ceremonies. There are ceremonies, for instance, where female performers dance withsuzu bells such as those with some sort of short blade at their center.[2] The bell's cool tinkles are also considered psychological air-conditioning for the summer since their clear ringing is considered cool and refreshing.[3]
InEdo Castle, the larger corridor to theŌoku, which only theshōgun was allowed to enter, was calledOsuzu Rōka (御鈴廊下, large corridor of the bells), derived from the ringing of thesuzu bells to announce his entrance.
Suzu were traditionally made by metal craft artisans. With the onset of industrialisation, they were made by machines. The ones produced by hand however are still considered of higher quality due to the richer and more melodious sound.
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Suzu is also a female name in Japan, meaning "bell" or "tin". The kanji forsuzu is often used to form a compound name, such as the well-known surnameSuzuki, meaning "bell tree" – the bell with the thick rope hanging down almost to the floor and looking like a tree trunk.
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