Arashiyama 嵐山 – Bamboo Groves and Togetsukyo Bridge in Kyoto

Arashiyama in Kyoto prefecture is most famous for its Bamboo Groves and the Togetsukyo Bridge. The area is conveniently connected by at least 4 train stations making it very accessible and frequently visited by even locals living around Kyoto.

On this hot summer day, we visited Arashiyama eager to see the world famous bamboo grooves. But, we are not sure why, the bamboos didn’t really look that spectacular. It could be the wrong season or we did not venture deep enough. The walking paths across the groves were populated with tourists and there were many rickshaws available if you are willing to pay a few thousand yen for a guided tour while sitting comfortably and shaded in the car.

The Togetsukyo bridge connects across Katsura River to the the Arashiyama Park and is one of the most iconic landmark around Kyoto area. Togetsukyo, which means crossing the moon, is a cool looking huge bridge with the mountains at the backdrop and a slow flowing river below.

Arashiyama Park is also a popular destination for friends and families to hang out and picnic, especially the cherry blossom season. We happened to see this group of students taking a group photo and decided to take a snap of them.

Passed by this railway track that cuts across the forest. It is not common to see a track in the open like this in Singapore, great chance to take a nice photo!

After seeing the bamboo groves, it is recommended to take a break at one of the small cafe opposite of the river and do a little shopping at the dozens of souvenir shops there.

Another popular destination in the area is the Tenryuji Temple, which is one of the top 5 zen temples in Kyoto (and we know there are hundreds of temples in Kyoto alone). We did not have time to visit the temple though, and it was really really hot that day.