Asian Art Museum Marks 40th Anniversary of Beloved New Year Tradition

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, DEC 17 – The Asian Art Museum celebrates the 40th anniversary of its annual Japanese New Year bell-ringing ceremony on Sunday, December 28, 2025, ushering in both the new year and the museum’s own milestone 60th anniversary on January 1, 2026.

Following centuries-old tradition, a 2,100-lb 16th-century Japanese temple bell will be rung 108 times to drive out the 108 mortal desires (bonno) that, according to Buddhist belief, torment mankind.

“This is based on a practice known as joya no kane, which literally means the night of elimination bells,” says Yuki Morishima, associate curator of Japanese art. “We’re getting rid of all the misdeeds from the past year to prepare for a new year of peace and happiness.”

Zen Buddhist priest Gengo Akiba Roshi will begin the ceremony by conducting a blessing and leading participants in a purification ritual and chanting of the Buddhist Heart Sutra. Guests will then be invited in groups to strike the bell one of 108 times — offering a rare chance to interact with an object in the museum’s collection in such a personal manner.

Observed for centuries across Japan, the Asian Art Museum began its annual bell-ringing in 1984 at its original home in a wing of the de Young Museum’s previous location in Golden Gate Park. In 2000, the bell was rung a final time at the de Young on the museum’s last day of operations before closing for renovations, and before the Asian Art Museum’s move to its current location in Civic Center in 2003. While the Asian Art Museum was temporarily between homes, its new neighbor, the San Francisco Main Library, generously hosted a bell-ringing ceremony to keep the tradition going. Likewise, in 2020, while still closed due to the pandemic, the museum hosted a virtual bell-ringing ceremony, allowing audiences to feel connected and providing a much-needed opportunity to put that year behind them.

Acquired by the de Young Museum in 1934 through a gift by auction house owner William Goodman and later transferred to the Asian Art Museum collection in 1976 (while both museums were collectively part of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco), the bell originated from Daienji Temple in Japan’s Hyogo prefecture (previously Tajima Province).

“I hope that visitors understand that they are a part of the history of the bell,” says Sheila Payaqui, head of conservation. “Going forward, every new generation that interacts with this bell is now a part of its story.”

“For me, the bell-ringing ceremony is about reflection,” says Morishima. “We come together as a community to let go of the past and embrace the new year for hope and peace.”

Visitors have multiple opportunities to come together throughout the day.  The member bell-ringing ceremony begins at 10:30am, followed by a touch tour of the bell for the blind and visually impaired at 12:30pm, and a public bell-ringing ceremony at 1pm, which are free with general admission. Family storytelling and docent-led tours will also be available throughout the day. For the full day’s schedule, please visit calendar.asianart.org.

About the Asian Art Museum

Located in the heart of San Francisco, the museum is home to one of the world’s finest collections of Asian and Asian American art, with more than 20,000 awe-inspiring works ranging from ancient jades and ceramics to contemporary video installations. Dynamic special exhibitions, cultural celebrations, and public programs for all ages provide rich art experiences that unlock the past and spark questions about the future.

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