Hokokuji Temple

Lovely moss garden and bamboo forest, the temple is only secondary. You get a view on some historic caves but you cannot enter them. You can extend your entrance ticket to include a traditional tea with a nice view into the forest. The path through the bamboo forest is very narrow and fairly short, there were massive traffic jams from people doing full on photoshootings in there. Still, this satisfied my desire to see a bamboo forest nicely and the moss garden was unexpectantly amazing too.

Amazing garden away from the hustle at the main station. It’s a bit of a walk around 30 minutes but there is also a bus. The place was quite empty when we went and we loved how private it felt. Matcha was delicious.

A peaceful temple, with a small, but gorgeous bamboo garden. Getting there is around 35 min from Kamakura station and the entrance fee is 300¥ (1000¥ with some extra green tea and access to a little tea house). It‘s a great alternative to the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in Kyoto, but without all the crowds and much smaller. Absolutely loved this very peaceful place!

Temple in Kamakura with a small bamboo grove and tea house. The temple is set within beautiful grounds from the gate at the front to the bamboo grove at the rear of the building. The bamboo grove is the star of the show and what most people come to see.
To enter the temple costs ¥400 or you can buy a combined temple and tea ticket for ¥1000. The tea house is a good place to sit and enjoy the bamboo grove. You can walk through the grove in 5 minutes, 15 if you're taking a lot of photos.
The temple is worth visiting as part of a day in Kamakura, but not if you're coming from Tokyo solely to see it.

A good restful stop on the way through. There's a small tea house at the back of the bamboo forest where you can drink matcha while looking out into the garden. It gets a little busy, but the staff have everything well coordinated and are very kind (even if you don't speak japanese well). The garden and shrine itself isn't huge, but it's certainly worth a short visit.

This was about a 35 minute walk from the train station in kamakura. I think it’s worth it. The bamboo forest alone was lovely. You have to pay a small entrance fee, and can pay more if you want tea at the tea house.

Beautiful temple grounds with a lovely bamboo forest nestled within. Different types of plants were intentionally planted so that there would be some colour in the garden across seasons.

Tranquil spot for some self-reflection, especially at the tea house (have to pay for the matcha ticket at the entrance, can’t be purchased within).

Very nice garden with an attached bamboo area. Also, the whole landscape around is beautiful. If you are going to buy a ticket for the garden make sure to add the green tea ticket as well. Probably the most relaxing tea time I've ever head with those surroundings. Additionally, if you arrive early, you can participate some meditation on Sundays for free.

Nice place to visit on weekdays. Not crowded, and you can take photos without people around. The entrance fee only costs 300yen. There's a bus right next to the exit going back to Kamalura station.

One of temples I always visit and I personally love is Hokokuji Temple in Kamakura. See the tall bamboos and different plants and flowers in the garden. Just by looking at it would make you feel relaxed and soothing. There is an entrance fee for the garden and there is also a maccha store inside where you can have maccha while viewing the bamboos. Due to its popularity, most of the time the maccha store is full so it’s hard to get inside. When you come to Kamakura, I recommend to visit this temple and be amazed by the bamboo groves and the beautiful Japanese garden 🪴 ❤

Moss garden and bamboo forest in compact size compared to Kyoto. However, the upkeep is great and worth a visit if you are in Kamakura.

I find this temple the most impressive among the many in this city.

Beautiful temple and grounds. Much smaller than the big temples, but exceptionally manicured gardens.

Such a beautiful temple! I recommend taking a bus from Kamakura station, since it’s about a 40 minute walk from the station. Definitely visit when in Kamakura!

Relaxing and not crowded. There are benches so you can enjoy the view while sitting idly.

If you want to have matcha and a few cute sweets in the cafe overlooking the bamboos, be sure to buy the ticket which includes the matcha.

This bamboo forest isn’t as big as the one in Kyoto but it’s well maintained.

Parking is available and free of charge. In case it’s full, there’s a nearby paid parking space.

This is about 15 minutes walk from Kamakura Station. At the entrance you have an option to pay the 300 yen entrance fee only or purchase a ticket with a set of green tea for 900 yen. It is cold in winter so after drinking the green tea, it would be too cold to stay in the rest area as it is an open space outside where you can enjoy the bamboo garden.

Beautiful grounds. The bamboo forest was wonderful and peaceful. Spend the few extra dollars for the tea house in the bamboo grove. It’s served in that wonderful Japanese style. a matcha tea amd sugar cube cookies. It is not a restaurant-ITS A DELIGHT. Instant service. And you maintain your zen feeling the way it’s designed. Great respite. Beautiful grounds. Quick.

Quiet and nice place with a tea house. IF it's empty, seems to be a famous photo spot, so might not be that peaceful if crowded.
There are very few parking spots right in front of the entrance. There are many more parking spaces but they are all restricted and the coin parking is pricey.

This temple is famous for its beautiful bamboo grove, also known as "Bamboo Temple".
It has three stars in the Michelin Green Guide.

SURREAL AND ENERGETIC LOCATION

When you see the entrance to main temple you immediately appreciate the level of zen you are about to enter with perfectly crafted gates guarding the entrance to a wonderful mystic green garden before meeting the simple but small bamboo woodland.

Obviously you have to pay to enter like nearly everywhere in Japan but the small payment for maintaining such beauty is well worth the yen. As you enter the main area after paying you immediately face a bamboo forest that overwhelms the senses and makes you immediately want to take selfies.

The area is really beautiful and peaceful with few tourists and time to contemplate on the zen modelled greenery before your eyes. The temple is pretty unique too with its own personality and posture within this natural beauty.

The bamboo area is pretty small around 100 square metres but that's all that is needed to impress the senses and enjoy time out from your travels. With an added bonus of drinking some green tea matcha whilst observing the bamboo woodland and a running water feature at the same time.

Unfortunately we thought we were going to be involved in a green tea ceremony as stated at the entrance however when we got to the green tea area we were met by a long queue of people waiting to sit down on a bench in front of the bamboo forest. Waiting in line to get a number then sitting and waiting again to get your green tea.

Don't get me wrong but the green tea was really nice and sitting in front of the bamboo area but the way everything was carried out was a little misleading as we were expecting a tea ceremony as stated. However we enjoyed every moment but still have it a 4/5.

Recommendations
Enjoy a lovely part of the area walking through the beautiful scenic woodland and see the tombs and caves.

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A very relaxing temple on the outskirts of Kamakura. I needed a break from the heat and crowds in central Kamakura and this was a beautiful respite. I recommend buying the green tea ticket for matcha and some small sweets in a teahouse overlooking the bamboo grove. Goshuin are handwritten and prepared while you walk around the temple gardens.