Overlooking the busy fishing port of Hashirimizu, Enshō-ji Temple is home to a mysterious bronze bell with a remarkable legend. The port, still bustling with fishing boats today, is famous for its “Golden Horse Mackerel,” a local brand fish known for its glistening gold hue and rich flavor.
According to temple records, in February 1822 a fisherman named Rihei hauled up an unexpected catch from the waters off Hashirimizu—a small bronze bell about 44 cm tall, sealed tightly in thick hinoki (Japanese cypress) boards. Inside was a copy of the Lotus Sutra, wrapped and protected. The sutra’s colophon states that it was “dedicated to the Dragon Palace in August 1330,” suggesting it was intentionally sunk as an offering to the sea deity. Similar legends of “sunken bells” (chinshō) exist elsewhere in Japan, but the Enshō-ji bell is exceptional for its clear historical documentation and for preserving a sutra within the bell itself.
The bell is usually not open to the public, but visitors can see it three times a year—on August 11, November 1, and New Year’s Day. Local tradition holds that when the bell was retrieved, it was so securely sealed that the fishermen had to break it open with an axe, leaving a large scar still visible on its surface today.
