Introduction

Hokoku-ji, nicknamed "Take-dera" (Bamboo Temple), is a Zen temple in Kamakura often compared to Kyoto's Arashiyama bamboo grove on a smaller, quieter scale. We reviewed a recent travel vlog covering a visit and checked the temple's history.

History

Photo: Nesnad / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) · Source ↗

Hokoku-ji was established in 1334 by the priest Tengan Eko, founded to commemorate Ashikaga Ietoki, grandfather of Ashikaga Takauji — who went on to become the first shogun of the Ashikaga Shogunate. Tengan Eko trained in Yuan-dynasty China before returning to found the temple, and Hokoku-ji remains an active temple of the Kenchō-ji branch of the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism today — the same Rinzai lineage as several of Kamakura's other major Zen temples. The temple served as the family temple of both the Ashikaga and Uesugi clans, and the ashes of several Ashikaga family members are reportedly interred in a large cave on the temple's west side.

What most visitors don't realize while walking through the grounds: most of the temple's original structures were destroyed in the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, one of the most devastating earthquakes in Japan's modern history. What stands today has largely been rebuilt since — meaning, similar to several other sites in this series, the physical buildings are newer than the temple's 690-year institutional history might suggest.

The Bamboo Garden

The grove itself holds around 2,000 moso bamboo stalks, with narrow paths winding through to a small tea house at the far end, where visitors can sit with a cup of matcha and take in the grove. One recent visitor specifically called it one of their favorite temples in all of Japan — a strong personal endorsement, worth weighing alongside the fact that it's considerably smaller and quieter than the more famous Arashiyama grove in Kyoto, which some travellers may prefer for exactly that reason.

The Moss Garden

The bamboo grove tends to get all the attention, but it isn't the only thing here worth slowing down for. Alongside it, Hokoku-ji's grounds include a moss garden — moss-covered stones and beds that Japan's official national tourism organization describes as contributing directly to the temple's Zen atmosphere, distinct from, if less photographed than, the bamboo itself. If you visit after rain, when the moss is at its most vivid, it's worth building in a few extra minutes specifically for this rather than walking straight past it toward the bamboo paths.

The Tea House

The tea house at the far end of the bamboo path has a name — Kyukoan — worth knowing before you arrive, since current visitor information describes it as a specific stop with its own seating arrangement rather than a generic rest area. For the ¥600 matcha set noted above, visitors sit on a tatami platform facing directly into the grove while a bowl of whisked matcha and a seasonal wagashi sweet are served. It's a genuinely different pace from walking the bamboo paths themselves, and several recent visitor accounts specifically call out sitting still here, rather than the walk-through itself, as the most memorable part of the visit.

The bamboo itself is a factor in why the tea house feels the way it does: at over 2,000 stalks growing tall and close together, the grove filters daylight into a soft, shifting green rather than blocking it outright, and that filtered light reaches the tea house seating directly — part of why recent visitor accounts describe it as a noticeably calmer stop than the entrance area, even on a day when the temple itself is busy.

Getting There

Hokoku-ji is reachable by bus from Kamakura Station's east exit — board at bus stop 5 and take route 23, 24, or 36 toward the Jomyoji stop, then walk a few minutes east to the temple. The ride itself takes roughly 10 to 15 minutes depending on traffic and currently costs around ¥220 one-way. On foot instead, the walk takes about 30 to 40 minutes; there's no direct train access to the temple itself.

Practical Tips

• Admission to the bamboo garden is currently ¥400 for adults and ¥200 for children; the optional matcha-and-wagashi set at the tea house is an additional ¥600, paid at the entrance — current visitor information doesn't show an online booking option.

• Hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with last entry around 3:30 p.m.; the temple closes to visitors from December 29 through January 3.

• Entry to the bamboo garden specifically requires a separate small ticket beyond general temple entry — a recent visitor considered it fully worth the modest cost for the access it provides.

• Being smaller and less famous than Arashiyama, it tends to be noticeably less crowded — a real advantage if you want a quieter bamboo-grove experience.

• The temple's shaded grounds make it a genuinely cooler stop on a hot day, given the dense tree and bamboo cover.

Sources and Verification Notes

The 1334 founding, the Ashikaga/Uesugi clan connection, and the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake's destruction of most original structures were checked against temple historical references, since the source vlog covered the visit experience without mentioning the earthquake or the extent of rebuilding involved.

Current bus routes, travel time, and fares from Kamakura Station were checked against Japan Guide's Hokokuji page, which also confirmed current ¥400/¥200 admission pricing. The moss garden detail was verified against the official Japan National Tourism Organization page for Hokokuji, since it's a feature some visitor accounts skip over in favor of the bamboo alone. The temple's Kenchō-ji-branch Rinzai affiliation and Tengan Eko's training in Yuan-dynasty China, along with the Kyukoan tea house's name, were cross-checked against Wikipedia's referenced entry on Hōkoku-ji.