Tucked away in the hills of Kamakura is the Bamboo Temple, Houkokuji. Kamakura is the ancient capital of Japan, just south of Tokyo. The region is a dimpled surface of little hills and thankfully little or no building has gone on on those hills. So you have an series of connected urban areas separated by green mounds and little mountains.
The Houmokuji temple was built in 1334 and is a most special place. Not only are the buildings old and graceful but behind them is a bamboo forest of prodigious age. Away from the noise and heat of the urban area it is cool, green and incredibly beautiful.
The bamboos are astonishingly large. Probably 40-50 ft high and most as thick as your your leg. Quite a few are thigh thickness.
You can wander through and admire the steep hills behind and then stop at a little spot and have a cup of green teas while sitting on a little platform and looking at a waterfall.
All of this in the middle of greater Tokyo, an agglomeration of some 33 million people. Yet another marvellous and astonishing thing about Japan, these quiet serene and ancient places amongst the mayhem.
i do hope you're bringing me back a cutting.
ReplyDeleteit wont weigh much - though they may have to strap it to the outside of the 747