Bonsho (hanging bells) do not contain a clapper. They are struck from the outside, using either a handheld mallet or a beam suspended on ropes. The bells are usually made from bronze, using a form of expendable mold casting and typically augmented and ornamented with a variety of raised bands and inscriptions. The earliest of these bells in Japan date to around 600 C.E., although the general design is of much earlier Chinese origin and shares some of the features seen in ancient Chinese bells. The bells’ penetrating and pervasive tone carries over considerable distances, which led to their use as signals, timekeepers and alarms. Their sounds seem to have supernatural properties which can be heard in the underworld.