Feeling a reluctance to part
Sugae describes ”bonsho” as being alive, but there is a difficulty in bell making using a tin and copper alloy that cannot be explained with words.
”It’s fine if it goes well, but there some cases where you fail.”
The manufacturing process begins when you get the order. He draws a plan and a wooden mockup is made according to the plan. Then, he makes a mold of the core and an outer mold using sand, melt the bronze and tin, then pour it into the mold. After the metal has cooled, the mold is broken and the bell is taken out.
Yamagata is famous for its cast metal products, and accounted for a large share of the tea ceremony kettles at one time. Many people were designated as Human National Treasures, and that tradition still breathes in this city.
Most of the materials are bronze. Green rust (verdigris) on bronze is the color of the bell that we usually think of. But bronze is heavy. We were handed a bronze billet, but it was much heavier than it looked. To make a 150 kg bell, 200 kg of bronze is needed. Sometimes the bell is larger and heavier, and then it becomes impossible to work alone. There are cases when over 1 ton of bronze is needed. Even when the bell is taken out of the mold, additional steps are involved, like polishing. The bell can only then be delivered to temples or shrines.
“There are a lot of steps and time involved before a bell is complete, so sometimes, I’m reluctant to part with the bell.“ Sugae told us. Perhaps the feeling is similar to when your child is getting married and leaving home. But that child will “grow”, and produce an even better sound. As we listened to him talk, we saw a small bell coming to life in his hands.