嵐山嵯峨野の竹林 – Bamboo Forest

I really can’t get enough of this place.  The green is so vivid and it’s always felt so nostalgic to me.  But that might be because I’ve seen too many samurai movies.

The bamboo forests are a pleasant walk really at any time of day in any season.  In the summer it’s a welcome cool green shade from the heat.  In the fall with everything turning red all around you, the bamboo seems an even brighter green so much that it almost seems unreal.  In the rain even, the colors change to a darker shade.  And if you visit later in the day, just before dusk, for example, everything else may be closed but the forests will be pretty much empty making for some nice pictures (the same goes for arriving early in the morning).

Access to the bamboo forests is quite easy.  You can get right on the path for the forest as you exit Tenryuu-ji through the garden.  You can also enter it directly from the small town/shopping area around Arashiyama.

Vital Information:

• Always Open

• No Closing Days

• Free Admission