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

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. 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.

Getting There

Hokoku-ji is reachable by bus from Kamakura Station, or on foot in about 30 minutes if you'd rather walk — no direct train access to the temple itself.

Practical Tips

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connection, and the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake's destruction of most original structures were checked against temple historical references, since the source vlog covered the visit experience without mentioning the earthquake or the extent of rebuilding involved.