Man: Do you know why they ring the temple bell 108 times on New Year's Eve?
Woman: I used to have a Vietnamese student back when the consumption tax was 8 percent and they tried to suggest that temple bells in Japan are customarily rung 100 times and but it was necessary to add another eight for tax.
— Nagatacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. Overheard by The Japan Times On Sunday
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