Serene Kamakura Bamboo Forest Reminds Me Why I Love Japan

Days 100-101, 2026 Grand World Voyage

Tuesday and Wednesday, April 14-15, 2026; Yokohama, Japan.

They say you can’t go back again. But sometimes you can.

I went back to a magical bamboo forest in Kamakura on Tuesday, and it actually lived up to my memories. A beautifully groomed forest of straight bamboo, with moss-covered statues scattered around the manicured stone walkways. In the distance, I could just see a glowing yellow light — a beacon drawing me along a shaded path, stirring memories of the lamppost in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (CS Lewis). A small teahouse awaited me.

I last visited this forest of moso bamboo – the world’s largest hardy bamboo, which can grow more than three feet in a day – on my first visit to Japan in 2017. It was a similar day, but with a light mist. This was where I first fell in love with Japan. I have returned to the country four more times, but this is my first return to Hokokuji Temple, also known as the Bamboo Temple. Perhaps I was afraid disappointment would ruin my memories. I needn’t have worried.

Most tours to Kamakura don’t include the bamboo forest, as it is in a residential neighborhood and doesn’t have parking for buses. It took some research to find a tour that included it, and I couldn’t have been more pleased with our guide, Akiho Suzuki. She timed our visit perfectly so we arrived at the bamboo forest just as it opened.

Kamakura is considered the first capital of Japan, the seat of the Kamakura shogunate from 1185 to 1333. Protected on three sides by mountains, the city features a wide promenade running from the ocean to the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine.

A week or so earlier this city promenade lined with cherry trees would have been stunning with flowers in full bloom. While we missed the pale pink cherry blossoms, the pear trees had taken over.

The crowds had grown by the time we got to the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine near the city center. On the busy shopping street, we stopped for a late-morning snack of nikuman, or steamed buns (mine with pork), in a one-table café. Kamakura beer and cider matched perfectly. We obviously were obsessed with selfies, much to the amusement of our guide.

Our final stop was the Great Buddha, standing about three stories tall. Fires and earthquakes over the centuries have destroyed the building, leaving the bronze statue standing in the open air. The group let me know they were ready to move on with a strategically timed photobomb as I was sketching.

Downtown Tokyo is about an hour away from Yokohama. For years Yokohama served as the main cruise port for the world’s largest city, but in 2024 we docked at Tokyo’s new cruise port. This time we were back overnight at Yokohama. Full-day tours to Tokyo were popular among those who hadn’t been. A number of passengers and crew took the train in for late-night visits.

There is plenty to do and see right by the Yokohama pier. Last time I was here, passengers who could get tickets watched the professional Yokohama BayStars play on their way to winning the Japan Series in the nearby 35,000-seat baseball stadium. This time there was no game, but Japan’s largest Chinatown next door was popular. A special floral competition in the park by the pier drew many from the ship, as did the shopping and dining district under the giant observation wheel.

On Wednesday, Elaine and friend Sheryl joined me for my return to Sankeien Garden, a 15-minute taxi ride away.

Last time I visited the garden the temperature was approaching 100 degrees, making it too hot to do more than slowly walk around the outer garden and sit in the shade of a wisteria trellis to quickly sketch. This time we explored both the outer and inner gardens, and even walked up the hill to the Three-Story Pagoda moved here from near Kyoto in 1914.

The others left while I stayed to once again sketch and paint. When I finished around 3 p.m., I didn’t see a soul around me and panicked for a minute that in my “painting trance” I had missed the closing of the park.

No worries. Upon returning to the main pond, I found other visitors and a line of available taxis at the exit. Fortunately, earlier when leaving the ship, we got slips of paper with the terminal name and address written in Japanese for taxi drivers.

A friend from previous world cruises was in Yokohama and met a large group of us for a final beer before we set sail. It’s fun to have a cruise family everywhere we go.