As part of welcoming the new year, the purpose of this ceremony is to sweep away all of the desires that have accumulated over the course of a year. The bell is struck 108 times, which represents the number of desires that we hold. The bell at Chion-in is one of the most famous in Japan. Due to its size, it takes a team of seventeen monks to strike the bell, and each time the bell rings the monks can be heard shouting “Ee hitotsu” (One more!) and “sōre”(Now!).