Edo Fūrin – The Sound of Coolness

In the days before fans and air-conditioners, the Japanese invented many ingenious ways to stay cool. One of these was the “fūrin“, or wind bell, hung where any passing breeze would make it ring. Its timbre causes us to think of the wind, and feel cooler. Originally metal, “fūrin“ are now made in many materials, including ceramic and glass. One type has a uniquely distinctive tone: the glass Edo Fūrin, developed 300 years ago, and still made using traditional techniques. Its ringing resembles the cries of c