The Bamboo Temple
Hōkoku-ji is my favorite temple in Kamakura. It’s not huge, and it’s a little out of the way, but if I had to choose just one temple in Kamakura to take you to, this would be it. No surprise, the “Bamboo Temple” has a killer forest of the towering green things
Mossy lanterns are tucked here and there…
and it’s beautiful in every season.
From the moment you walk through the gate…
and are welcomed by the mossy entry garden…
and the grand temple bell…
it’s clear that Hōkoku-ji will be worth the price of admission. It only costs ¥400 to stroll through the bamboo grove and lovely gardens beyond, and (even better!)…
for only ¥600 more, you can enjoy a bowl of matcha tea and sweets at a teahouse overlooking the bamboo grove
Hōkoku-ji is a Zen temple, so its meandering paths wend their way past a fine rock garden…
before curving out to wilder landscapes. The stone memorials (gorintō) tucked into natural caves in the wilder parts of the gardens commemorate the thousands of warriors who died in 1333 in the battle that ended the rule of the Hōjō clan, and it’s believed that the ashes of two members of the Ashikaga ruling family who were commanded to commit seppuku (even though one of them was only 13) are also interred in one of the caves.
The temple buildings are extremely well-preserved, and in fine weather they open the screens so you can see the important paintings and sacred artifacts.
In true Zen fashion, this temple rewards those who don’t just charge in to exclaim over its grand vistas, but also take the time to notice the small details, like the artful bouquets of seasonal flowers quietly brightening a hallway…
and the unvarnished wood siding that has been scoured by wind and weather for so many years that the softer stripes of the grain have turned it into a relief map of time…
Seasonal surprises make the eternal bamboo even better.
Hōkoku-ji Temple
Open: Every day
Hours: 9:00 – 16:00
Admission: ¥400
If you’d like to sip tea overlooking the bamboo grove, add ¥600
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And here are the other places I take my friends when they come to town
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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly e-magazine Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had
Jonelle Patrick writes about Japan 