Hókoku-ji was founded in 1334 by the Zen priest Tengan Ekó, who was a disciple of priestMugaku Sogen, the founding priest of Engaku-ji, the 2nd Zen Temple, about which I have already written before on this website. The time of establishment of this temple was turbulent in Japan. The Kamakura shogunate had just been defeated in 1333 and the first Ashikaga shogun Takauji established his rule in Kyoto.
This temple became the family temple of the Ashikaga Clan as well as the Uesugi Clan. In 1439 the temple became the scene of a family drama after Shogun Yoshinori attacked Kamakura to re-establish his power in the east. Ashikaga Mochiuji and his son Yoshihisa were forced to kill themselves to escape capture. Yoshihisa was only 13 year old and he chose the Hókoku-ji for the ritual suicide by disembowelment better known as seppuku of harakiri.
None of the original buildings are present as they were destroyed in Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923 but old stone lanterns, gorinto grave stones and the yagura tomb caves are original.
Japanese word for bamboo is take and because more than two thousand Mósó bamboos are growing on the grounds of the temple, it is also called Take-dera = Bamboo temple.
Yakuimon – Temple Gate
The bell tower with a thatched straw roof The main building where the seated Buddha Shakyamuni tathagata image is located. It was created by famous Buddhist sculptor Takuma HógenAt the entrance boulder steps leading to the bamboo garden these two Japanese young ladies posed for me Bamboo garden is actually a wood of Mósó-bamboo = the biggest species of bamboo, like real big tall tree. There are approximately two thousand bamboo trees growing here and with their height, majesty and beauty they impress visitors all year round. The bamboo, which is a plant belonging to the tropics and subtropics, grows wild throughout Japan. No other country has so large variety of bamboos as Japan can boast ofPriests´ Graves Ishi-dóró – original stone lantern
Yaguras with tombs of Ashikagas. Here also Ietoki and Yoshihisa, who was as young as 13, are buried. They both died by seppukuTwo lovely Japanese young ladies in kimonos posed for me on the pavement in the bamboo wood Priests´ tombs This picture evokes serenity in my mind Zen meditation is held here every Sunday morning Zen garden
Bamboos 🙂
Gorintó – 5 tier memorial tower and tomb stones to commemorate the warriors killed during the Siege of Kamakura in 1333 in May and it marked the end of the power of the Hójó Clan. Thousands of warriors lost their livesCamelia and bamboo trees
