Hokoku-ji Temple

Hokoku-ji Temple is a Zen temple in the Jomyoji area of eastern Kamakura, best known for the bamboo garden behind its main hall. About 2,000 moso bamboo grow there, which is why many visitors simply call it the Bamboo Temple. Admission is 400 yen for high school students and adults and 200 yen for elementary and junior high school students.

The temple belongs to the Kenchoji branch of the Rinzai school. It was founded in 1334 by the monk Tengan Eko to honor Ashikaga Ietoki, the grandfather of the first Ashikaga shogun, Takauji. One itinerary covering ten days in Tokyo and beyond includes Hokoku-ji and recommends coming first thing in the morning.

What to see at Hokoku-ji Temple

The bamboo garden

The path through the grove is short, but the tall green stalks block out the street and most of the sky. The look of the grove changes with the light and weather, from sun filtering between the stalks to rain dripping off the leaves. Many of the stones along the path are covered in moss, which is greenest just after rain.

Matcha at Kyuko-an

Deep in the bamboo garden is Kyuko-an, a small tea house where you can sit with a bowl of matcha and a dry sweet while looking out at the bamboo. The matcha ticket costs 600 yen and is bought at the entrance with your admission. Ticket sales can pause when the tea house is full, so arrive early on weekends if tea is the reason you came.

Main hall, garden and yagura

The copper-roofed main hall holds a seated Shakyamuni figure by the sculptor Takuma Hogen, a cultural property of Kamakura City. The temple also has a dry rock garden (karesansui) and a bell tower from 1757, its oldest building.

The grounds also have yagura, the cave tombs cut into hillsides that are typical of Kamakura. They are said to be the graves of Ashikaga Ietoki and of Yoshihisa, son of Ashikaga Mochiuji, the fourth Kamakura kubo (shogunal deputy).

Zazen and night viewings

Hokoku-ji holds a zazen (seated meditation) session every Sunday morning, which visitors can join. From November 2026, the temple has added limited night viewings with the grounds lit up, about twice a month and usually on the first and third Saturdays. Tickets sell out, so book ahead through the temple's Peatix page linked from its English visitor page.

How to get to Hokoku-ji

• By bus: from the East Exit of JR Kamakura Station, take a Keikyu bus from stop 4 bound for Kamakura Reien or Kanazawa-Hakkei, about 12 minutes to the Jomyoji stop. The temple is a 3-minute walk from there.

• By taxi: about 7 minutes from Kamakura Station

• From Tokyo: the JR Yokosuka Line runs direct from Tokyo Station to Kamakura in about 60 minutes, and the Shonan-Shinjuku Line from Shinjuku takes about 53 minutes

Our one-day Kamakura plan shows how to fit Hokoku-ji in with the Great Buddha and Tsurugaoka Hachimangu.

With a guide, the Kamakura and Enoshima tea tour starts its day at the bamboo temple, with admission included.

Best time to visit Hokoku-ji

Come early in the morning, ideally on a weekday. The temple gets busier as the day goes on, and the narrow path fills up quickly. Rainy days are also quieter and show the moss at its best. The temple closes from December 29 to January 3 and may close in bad weather. Tripods, eating and drinking are not allowed in the grounds.