Hokoku Temple

The Temple is 15 minutes by foot from Hachiman Shrine. This Zen temple was built in the mid-14th century. Its nickname is “Bamboo Temple” as it has a beautiful bamboo forest which you can walk through. It also has a beautiful garden like the other Zen temples. At the corner of the forest, there is a tea-house where Japanese powdered tea is served for 500 yen. There are large Yagura (caves) which used to be graves for samurai in the Ashikaga clan. The Ashikaga clan was a powerful military regime from the 13th to the 15th centuries. All the samurai in the Ashikaga clan of Kamakura died after a fierce battle during the 14th century and the Temple has served to console the souls of the clan.