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The is a famous bronze bell associated with the Ryūkyū Kingdom. ==History== The bell was cast in 1458, during the reign of King Shō Taikyū, and hung at the Seiden (main hall) of Shuri Castle. The bell is 154.9 cm high, with an opening 93.1 cm in diameter, and weighs 721 kilograms.〔''Bankoku shinryō no kane''. ''(Okinawa Daihyakka )'' (沖縄大百科). Urumax. Accessed 5 September 2009.〕 Blackened and damaged by Allied bombs and guns in during the 1945 battle of Okinawa, the bell miraculously survived largely intact. It is, however, no longer rung.〔Kadekawa, Manabu (ed.). ''Okinawa Chanpurū Jiten'' (沖縄チャンプルー事典, "Okinawa Champloo Encyclopedia"). Tokyo: Yamakei Publishers. p199.〕 Nationally designated as an Important Cultural Property in 1978,〔 the bell is today in the collection of the Okinawa Prefectural Museum; a full-size replica hangs at the castle site.〔"Bankoku Shiryō no kane." ''Okinawa konpakuto jiten'' (沖縄コンパクト事典, "Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia"). (Ryukyu Shimpo ) (琉球新報). 1 March 2003. Accessed 14 April 2009.〕 It remains unclear, however, just where in or around the Seiden it was originally hung.〔 The replica bell currently hangs outside the second bailey or courtyard (Okinawan: ''shicha nu una''), in a structure called the Tomoya, which has been reconstructed based on historical plans, maps, and images, but the original purpose of which is unknown.〔"Roukokumon Gate." (Shurijo Castle Park Official Site ). Accessed 5 September 2009.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Bridge of Nations Bell」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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