Fūrin – Wind Chimes

You have probably seen them in the manga or heard them in the anime, the fūrin are an important part of the very particular sounds of summer in Japan. These wind chimes ( fū風 means ” wind ” and rin鈴 means ” bell “) are hung outside or near windows and people enjoy the soothing sounds they make when the wind blows.

Introduced from China by Buddhist monks, these wind chimes were used to learn the direction and strength of the wind.

However, when they arrived in Japan, their use was more as a good luck charm and they were hung in the four corners of the roof eaves of temples and shrines because it was said that people, living in the vicinity of temples, she was protected from misfortunes and evil spirits if she could hear the fūrin bells ringing.

Its sound varies depending on the material of manufacture. At first, the fūrin were made of metal , mainly bronze, but around the 18th century , glass manufacturing techniques were introduced from Holland, so they also began to be made of glass. At first, only feudal lords and rich people could buy these little glass bells and place them in their homes. Within a short time, technology developed to make these crystal bells less expensive to create and by the beginning of the Meiji era , even ordinary people could buy them. It is very common to also find ceramic furin .

Although traditionally the fūrin was used to ward off evil and epidemics, today people simply enjoy its clear and transparent sound on hot summer days. The sound of the fūrin is very relaxing, even refreshing because when you hear these bells, it means that the wind is blowing and that the less hot days are about to arrive. If you have visited Japan in the summer, you will know how comforting it is to feel the rush of air! Japan is very humid and hot in the summer.

Here we leave you a video that we recorded on our trip to Kyoto , when we visited the Kiyomizudera Temple . You can also listen to the “semi” or cycads in full “concert”

What do you think of these wind chimes? Would you like to have one? Tell us in the comments!