Arashiyama: Bamboo Forest, Monkeys and Ancient Temples

Getting to Arashiyama

Arashiyama is located in the western part of Kyoto – getting there is very easy via several routes.

Tip: The most convenient station for most sights is Saga-Arashiyama (JR). From there it’s just a few minutes’ walk to the bamboo forest.

Arashiyama is easiest to combine with sightseeing in the city itself — our Kyoto first-trip guide covers the must-sees.

Places to visit in Arashiyama

1. Arashiyama Bamboo Forest

The Arashiyama Bamboo Forest is perhaps one of the most iconic sights in Japan. Towering green bamboo stalks rise on both sides of a narrow path, creating a fantastic tunnel. When the wind blows, the forest hums – and that sound has officially been recognised as one of the “100 Sounds of Japan Worth Hearing”.

Please note: Come as early as possible – by 8–9 am it’s relatively calm, but after 10:00 the forest fills with tourists. The best light for photos is in the morning, when rays filter through the stalks.

After the forest, it’s worth strolling along the Oi River embankment – especially beautiful in autumn when the maples turn vivid red and gold.

2. Iwatayama Monkey Park

Iwatayama Monkey Park is a small park on the summit of Arashiyama mountain, where over 120 Japanese macaques live in the wild. The climb takes about 20 minutes along a forest trail, but the view from the top over Kyoto and the Oi River is a complete reward.

Official Iwatayama Monkey Park website.

Please note: The monkeys roam freely all over the mountain, so you may encounter them right on the trail during the climb. Do not try to touch or feed the monkeys outside the hut – this is prohibited by park rules.

3. Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple

Adashino Nenbutsu-ji is one of the most poetic and tranquil temples in Japan. Its grounds hold over 8,000 stone statues and grave markers of people whose bodies were once abandoned without burial in the Saga mountains. In the 9th century, the monk Kukai (Kobo Daishi) gathered all these remains and conducted memorial prayers – and so this temple came to be.

Official Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple website.

Please note: The temple is located in the quiet Saga-Toriimoto district – the walk there through an old street lined with traditional houses is itself part of the experience. Twice a year – in late August and in September – a “Toba” ceremony is held here, where the statues are illuminated with candles.

Secret: The temple grounds have their own mini bamboo forest – far less known and significantly less crowded than Arashiyama’s main tourist attraction. If you want to experience the atmosphere of bamboo groves without the crowds – this is the place.

4. Hōkyō-in Temple

Hōkyō-in is a small Rinzai Zen Buddhist temple located between the bamboo forest and the Oi River. What draws visitors here is not the architecture but the garden – quiet, refined, Japanese in every detail. A moss garden with a stone lantern and a small pond gives a sense of complete calm even at the height of tourist season.

Please note: Hōkyō-in is often skipped by tourists – and that’s a shame. This is exactly why it’s worth visiting: it’s quiet here. Especially beautiful in spring during the blossoms and in autumn when the maple leaves turn red.

Official Hōkyō-in Temple website.

5. Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple

Otagi Nenbutsu-ji is one of Japan’s most unusual and “smiling” temples. Its grounds are home to 1,200 unique stone figures of rakan (disciples of Buddha), each carved by ordinary people under the guidance of sculptor Kocho Nishimura in the 1980s. Each figure has its own facial expression – some look funny, others pensive, others childlike. The atmosphere here is not at all sombre, but joyful and warm.

Please note: The temple sits at the very end of the Saga-Toriimoto street and is usually much less crowded than the centre of Arashiyama. After visiting Adashino Nenbutsu-ji it’s literally a few minutes’ walk – both temples are easy to combine in a single stroll.

Official Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple website.

Cafes and restaurants

• Pancakes – a cosy spot with Japanese pancakes, perfect for a snack during your walk.

  PETIT BONHEUR on the map

• Brunch cafe – a great place for a leisurely breakfast or brunch surrounded by the greenery of Arashiyama.

  Cafe on the map

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