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USAGI YOJIMBO LETTERS COLUMN
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STORY NOTES There are three kinds of Japanese bells. Smaller bells are called suzu, meaning “cool and refreshing.” They are round and hollow, with tiny metal pellets inside. They give a clear ringing when they are moved. Kane are generally larger and “bell-shaped.” They emit a ringing when struck. Suzu are associated with Shinto shrines, while kane are connected with Buddhist temples and ceremonies. The furin, or windbell, is bell-shaped with a striker suspended underneath, to which a rectangular cardboard is attached to catch the breeze. Children, both boys and girls, often have tiny suzu attached to their sashes as an ornament. Girls also wear them on their geta, or wooden clogs. Mothers attach them to scissors and other utensils, and cats and dogs wear them on their collars to tell their owners where they are. Shinto shrine maidens will shake clusters of them during ritual dances. They are attached to ropes over offering boxes in shrines to attract the attention of the kami. The larger kane are found in temples. The technique of making a good bell is difficult, and there were many famous bell casters. Though there are many kane throughout the country there are only a few considered to have the right clear and pleasant tone. They are struck on the exterior always on the same spot, called the tsukiza, which is traditionally lotus-shaped. They are rung slowly so that each ring sounds just as the preceding ring fades away. The bell at the Chion-in temple in Kyoto is 18 feet high. The one at Daibutsu in Nara is 15 feet high. The largest bell was at Shitenoji in Osaka, and was 26 feet high and cast in 1902. However, it was improperly cast and was said not to give out any sound at all. Bells were also used to announce the time by their hourly ringing. Unfortunately, many temple bells were scrapped for their iron in WWII. Information for this story came from: Quaint Customs and Manners of Japan by Mock Joya, published circa 1951 by the Tokyo News Service, LTD., Tokyo, Japan. |
Dear Mr. Sakai,
Nice to see Godzilla back again (sort of) in UY #68. Is there any chance we’ll ever see him again in his younger and cuter form, or was that just a one-time deal?
Will we see the return of the demon swordswoman soon? I want to see if she is redeemed or killed. Are we ever likely to know who her divine patrons are and why they want to kill Usagi so badly? What have the kami got against Usagi that they’ve (apparently) set the demon swordswoman on him?
Nobody else has mentioned this, so now I’m asking: what happened to the old samurai Dark Horse logo that used to grace the cover of the comics? I miss it.
I enjoy Inspector Ishida and keenly anticipate his return. Is his resemblance to Inspector Clouseau intentional or coincidental? I also like the way that (unlike Clouseau) he’s able to fight when the occasion demands it.
You know, something occurs to me when I read UY and Lone Wolf and Cub. There seem to be absolutely tons of abandoned shrines and temples dotted about the Japanese landscape in which these mendicant warriors can rest the night. Is this based in reality, or is it simply a convenient plot device to throw protagonists together?
Nelius Bresnan
nbresnan@eircom.net
It’s only been about 15 years since we last saw Zylla. I don’t like to overuse a character.
It will also be a while before we see Inazuma again. Grasscutter may have been published four years ago, but for Usagi, it happened just six months ago. Inazuma will be back, though, and we’ll finally learn the origin of Jei.
The samurai horse logo no longer appears, because the Maverick imprint was discontinued.. Usagi is covered under the regular Dark Horse banner. [I miss Stan’s samurai horse head, too! - Diana]
I think Inspector Ishida is a bit more capable than the bumbling Inspector Clouseau. Maybe Ishida should have a Cato-like character to help hone his fighting abilities, like Clouseau has.
The small mountain temples are both a plot device and reality. From what I understand, they are not uncommon in rural areas.
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Usagi Yojimbo, including all prominent characters featured in the stories and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of Stan Sakai and Usagi Studios. Usagi Yojimbo is a registered trademark of Stan Sakai. Names, characters, places, and incidents featured in this publication either are the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), events, institutions, or locales, without satiric content, is coincidental.