The origin of the dōtaku is thought to be the Chinese cattle bell. Dōtaku (ritual bells) by The British Museum, Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
Around 300 B.C.E., people from the Asian continent who were cultivating crops began to migrate to the Japanese islands where they began to make objects like copper and bronze bells. Yayoi period, an introduction by Dr. Sonia Coman