Arashiyama was another place we missed out on our previous trip. This time around, we’ve allocated an entire day for the Hozugawa River aboard the scenic railway and the Sagano bamboo forest.
It was soothing to escape the city crowd and reconnect with nature at the outskirts of Kyoto. The Hozugawa River is gorgeously blue, and we can only imagine how beautiful the place would be once the sakura trees along the railway tracks have fully blossomed. According to urban legends, Japanese couples visit Arashiyama to break up. Another one states that couples who go for boat rides together would also break up once they return to shore.
After the scenic train ride, we ventured to the Sagano bamboo forest, Arashiyama’s most popular attraction, where we spent our evening feasting our eyes on the glorious sight. The path of the bamboo forest is unfortunately short, as we were hoping to go for a long stroll surrounded by these majestic bamboos.
We made our final stop at Yasumichi Morita‘s kimono forest at the Arashiyama station. Made using kimono fabrics, all 600 lit poles were a delight for the eyes. With the night approaching and temperatures dipping, we quickly made our way back to Gion.
Arashiyama is a must-visit if you’re in Kyoto.
