Bell of Two Friends - Minneapolis, MN, USA
N 44° 59.109 W 093° 15.689
15T E 479385 N 4981334
This replica of a Dotaku Bell was a gift from Minneapolis' sister City Ibaraki, Japan. It is located in a park on Nicollet Island in Minneapolis, MN.
Waymark Code: WM6506
Location: Minnesota, United States
Date Posted: 04/04/2009
Views: 31
From the Nicollet Island web site (
visit link) :
"Nicollet Island is also home to the Bell of Two Friends, a gift to the City of Minneapolis from its sister city, Ibaraki, Japan, as a monument to friendship and world peace. The Bell is actually a replica of a two-thousand-year-old terra cotta mold for an ancient bronze bell. It was given to Minneapolis in July of 2001 to celebrate the two cities’ 20th “anniversary” as sister cities."
The plaque reads:
"Bell of Two Friends
Dotaku
This sculpture represents a greatly enlarged half-mold of a dokatu bell found in Ibaraki, Japan. Such bells date to the Yayoi periods of Japanese history, approximately 2,000 years ago. The exact purpose of Dotaku bells is lost to history, but it is felt that they were largely ceremonial, rather than functional. The surface design of the bell suggests the importance of the ever-present waters and mountains of Japan.
Artist: Karen Sonlag-Sattel 2001"