When writing about places of natural beauty it’s always tempting to overuse every adjective in the book, so I’ll try and hold back the gushing prose when describing Sagano Bamboo Forest in Arashiyama (嵐山), on the western outskirts of Kyoto.
Starting in the east between Sagaarashiyama (嵯峨嵐山) and Arashiyama (嵐山) stations, and leading west towards Torokko Arashiyama (トロッコ嵐山) station the short walk takes you through the bamboo grove where the gently swaying bamboo stalks cast their ever-changing shadows.
On the way, you can stop off at Tenryū-ji (天龍寺), ranked number one among Kyoto’s so-called Five Mountains and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While I was there the trees were just coming into bloom.
It was actually my second visit to the very same place and you can find more detail in the original post. Sufficed to say it’s worth the entrance fee.
The path can get quite busy so it’s probably worth an early morning start to enjoy the place in relative quiet.
The area has been a popular destination since the Heian Period (平安時代), 1,200 years ago, when nobles would enjoy its natural setting and not much has changed.
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