After another amazing breakfast at the hotel, we headed out for our second day of adventure; this time, to the Arashiyama district of Kyoto, about 7 miles north-west of the center.
Arashiyama and the Bamboo Forest
Arashiyama is noted for its bamboo forests, scenic river, and Tenryu-ji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This time, we took yet another form of transportation, the local train from Kyoto Station. Not as exotic as the Shinkansen, it nonetheless got us to Arashiyama efficiently.
As soon as we reached Arashiyama, we boarded another train, this time the ‘Sagano Romantic Train’ on the ‘Sagano Scenic Railway’ – a line that has been in service since 1899 or so (originally as freight, more recently as a passenger line).
This rickety ride takes you along the scenic river. We didn’t have time to stay at the other end, so just rode it right back to Arashiyama, but got off at the station closest to the famous Bamboo Grove.
A short walk uphill from the train station positions you at the very top of the Bamboo Grove. It was really crowded (guides tell you to get there early but that’s never an option for us!) but we could still enjoy it – a narrow path cut through a dense bamboo forest.
Adjacent to the Bamboo Grove is a house of a famous actor, who left the house as a tourist attraction. It wasn’t the most exciting thing on earth but it was worth taking a look:
Tenryu-ji Temple, Monkey Park, Shopping
After this house, we wandered back through the Bamboo Grove towards Arashiyama, and visited the temple there – Tenryu-ji temple – another Unesco World Heritage Site.
Tenryu-ji is a Zen temple (more specifically, ‘the head temple of the Tenryū-ji branch of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism’). Originally built in 1339 (take that, European history!).
Everywhere we went, we noticed the use of bamboo for practical purposes. Here, it’s used for fencing, but elsewhere we saw it in construction. It’s something of a miracle material, being stronger and lighter than steel by some measures, and growing at a rate of several inches a day. This article discusses the use of bamboo as a sustainable building material.
For lunch, we found a cozy little ramen joint that had empty tables. We shared a table with a family from Prague, so that led to interesting conversations.
After lunch, I headed to the Arashiyama monkey park – a steep, hillside park with over 150 wild macaque monkeys and a feeding room. Lots of fun monkeys to watch, and a nice aerobic workout climbing the hillside!
After the monkey park, it was time to walk back across the river and explore the main street of Arashiyama – a delightful, low-key commercial street full of interesting shops, including a shop dedicated to bamboo – everything from pens to cups to chopsticks to clothing, all made from bamboo.
After an hour or so of shopping, it was time to head back to Kyoto on the train, and locate our restaurant for dinner.
Kaiseki dinner at Giro Giro Hitoshino
We had planned this dinner months ago; we’d read about the Japanese style of dining called ‘Kaiseki’ -(from this page) – “Kaiseki is a traditional multi-course Japanese dinner made up of dozens of small dishes with different tastes and textures. It is considered the most refined form of washoku (Japanese cuisine), which was designated as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO”. Most Kaiseki restaurants are very expensive and hard to get into, but we found one that was reported to be reasonably priced, so we made a reservation a couple of months prior. Our choice was ‘Giro Giro Hitoshino’.
The restaurant was hard to find, located in a quiet neighborhood, but google maps delivered as always. We had very little idea what we were served, and we had no say in the matter – the chefs simply prepare whatever they think is appropriate and serve to everyone at once. It was a fun experience, even if some of the things were a little strange! And the price was surprisingly reasonable – approx $90 US for two. If you go – sitting downstairs is a must, and ask your hotel concierge to get you reservations.
Once again, after dinner, we got back to the hotel by public transit. We felt totally safe wherever we went. There were no shady looking characters, no homeless people, and the station was very busy even late at night.
Leave a Reply