Shades of Green

For my birthday - which is coincidentally St. Patrick's Day - I took the day off from work to shoot photos in Kamakura. I've been wanting to revisit Hokoku-ji for a while now, but it's a little off the beaten path and not the most convenient temple to walk to with a stroller. But by myself, it's a breeze. So early on Tuesday morning, I woke up as usual, got Joshua ready for school, and then dropped him off just as the first bell was ringing (It's worth mentioning that The Sullivans School's bell rings to the tune of the "Chim Chim Cher-ee" song from Mary Poppins, which in my humble opinion is a great tune to start the day).



Afterward, while whistling "Chim Chim-i-ney, Chim Chim-i-ney, Chim Chim Cher-ee", I drove back home to grab some fuel for my belly, then hit the road. Miraculously, I arrived at JR Yokosuka station within about 15 seconds of the train arriving, which seriously never happens for me. Ever. Usualy it's a 10 minute or more wait, because I always seem to forget to look up the schedule online at Hyperdia (click the English button up top, if necessary). But good ol' Irish luck was on my side that morning, so I hopped on the train with the late round of salarymen commuters and made my way to Kamakura.



The walk to Hokoku-ji was fairly unmemorable, but it was nice being out in the cool morning air. Walking through Kamakura before 9am is an experience everyone should try once. Store merchants haven't opened their shops yet, but they are at work on the outside of their buildings, sweeping or organizing things before starting the day. Despite the activity, there's a peaceful calm that overwhelms the town. After 9am, the place is a zoo of shop keepers, tourists, and shoppers galore.



I spent about an hour walking through Hokoku-ji and its Bamboo Garden area, then took a leisurely stroll through other familiar temple pathways and narrow streets in the area. By noon, I was back on the JR train and heading home.

For the full set of photos, check out the Gallery dated March 28, 2009, or simply click here.

Edited for Directions: Alisa (comment #1 on this post) asks how to get to Hokoku-ji. I'll do my best to explain. Exit Kamakura Station in the direction of Hachiman-gu (Hachiman Shrine). Follow the main street, which is the one with the strip of cherry trees lining the center of the road. When you reach the large torii gate in front of Hachiman-gu, turn right and follow the road for about a mile, keeping your eyes open for signs that lead to Jomyoji Temple, which is on your left side. Once you pass Jomyoji, you'll be very close to the right-hand turn towards Hokokuji. When I went, I just made sure to be on the right side of the road, and at every right turn after Jomyoji, I looked for the tourist info signs for Hokokuji. Turn right at the info sign that I have photoed in my Gallery. From there, the temple is about a 2 minute walk ahead on your right hand side. You can't miss it. The Bamboo Garden is in the back of the shrine, so you'll have to go to the ticket window and ask for a ticket to enter the bamboo garden area. Click on the map to your left to make it larger.