Hokoku-ji Temple (Bamboo Temple)
報国寺
Kamakura's “Bamboo Temple,” with about 2,000 moso bamboo and a tea room where you can sip matcha while listening to the rustling leaves.
Hōkoku-ji is a Rinzai Zen temple founded in 1334, known as the “Bamboo Temple” for the grove of about 2,000 moso bamboo behind it. The bamboo path is short but very serene, and sunlight filtering through the leaves makes it ideal for photography. Deep in the grove, the tea room “Kyūkōan” serves a bowl of matcha with a Japanese sweet (an extra charge), where you can sit quietly and watch the shadows of the bamboo. On the cliff behind the garden are tombs of the Ashikaga clan. Admission to the grove is about ¥400. From the east exit of Kamakura Station, take a bus to the “Jōmyōji” stop, about 10 minutes, then walk about 3 minutes. It can be combined with nearby Jōmyō-ji.
Opening hours
09:00–16:00
Nearby sights
- Kamakura-gu Shrine
- Zuisen-ji Temple
- Kamakura Museum of National Treasures
- Tsurugaoka Hachimangu
- Komachi-dori
- Kencho-ji Temple
- Meigetsu-in
- Jochi-ji Temple