East Kamakura temple sights (Photo-essay)

This time last year, I was enjoying a vacation in the Land of the Rising Sun that saw me visit Kamakura, Nikko and Kawagoe as well as Tokyo and attractions in Greater Tokyo (such as Sanrio Puroland over in Tama Center) as well as the more central sections of the Japanese capital.  This time around, I didn't feel compelled to return to Nikko or Kawagoe but I made it a point to go again to Kamakura -- because I liked very much what I saw on my trip there last year but, also, because I didn't find enough time on that day excursion to venture to the East Kamakura area that's home to some temples and shrines that looked like they'd be great to visit.

In particular, sbk's post and photos of the Hokoku Temple (AKA Hokokuji) had made me want to stroll around in that Zen temple's bamboo grove too.  And since Sugimoto-dera is conveniently located near Hokokuji, I figured that it'd be worth checking out the eighth century religious establishment that is Kamakura's oldest temple as well.

The way things worked out, I ended up having time this time around to visit a total of four temples and shrines in Kamakura.  But in this photo-essay, I'll "just" concentrate on featuring a selection of snaps I took at the two East Kamakura temples I visited on this recent trip:-

Hokokuji's famous bamboo grove is actually 

smaller than I had thought it would be but 

it most definitely is picturesque and photogenic 

 A lovely butterfly/moth I spotted resting on 

the bamboo grove's path (and near the tea house)

Puppet Ponyo (looking a bit spooked?)

also was about in the bamboo grove

However, there were no traces of the spider that

created this web in the bamboo grove

And should anyone wonder, this is what Hokokuji's

main temple building looks like :)

The entrance to Sugimotodera has a post with 

bilingual messages on it that it'd be great if

more people were to heed them

The age of this temple founded circa 734 

is apparent in its old (thankfully no longer used) 

steps as well as its generally rustic compound

This building houses, among other items, three Kannon 

statues that legend has it hid themselves under a cedar tree 

when a fire broke out one day in 1189! :b