We could’ve stayed in Kyoto proper and explored the city, but a visit out to the suburbs of Arashiyama beckoned. Because you can not travel to Kyoto without seeing the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. So we took the train from Kyoto station and half an hour later, we found ourselves in tourist central.
Visiting Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
If you’re into scenic walks, being out in nature and taking in lots of fresh air, Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is the place to go. The towering and sprawling forest of bamboo is just a few minute’s walk from the town centre and train station.
Like Fushimi Inari, it is one of the most photographed and recognized sights in Kyoto, nay, Japan. And for good reason. It’s beautiful and mysterious here. The bamboo stalks seem to be never-ending, forever reaching up to the sky. The leaves so dense that the sun is obscured in some areas, and only come through as a flicker of light through the thicket of bamboo.
And were it not for the throngs of tourists jockeying for position on the path to take selfies, it would have been utterly enchanting. Arashiyama Bamboo Grove draws all the crowds – make peace with people being in your shots. Or do like we did and tilt your camera to crop them out.
I don’t want to slam tourists because we are ones too, but holy heck, we saw more than a few OOTD Instagrammers there. You know they’re only doing it for the ‘gram. I spied one woman who was posing in these ridiculous and vertiginous lucite and marabou mules. You know she did not walk the entire grove in these Peggy Bundy shoes. FACT.
Despite the crowd, we did enjoy the scenic grove and park.
Monkeying Around at Iwatayama Monkey Park
Because of the close proximity from the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove (and the fact that we love monkeys!), we headed to Iwatayama Monkey Park to see about some monkeys. The hike up to the summit takes about 30-60 minutes (depending on your fitness level) and is steep in some places. Remember, you’re hiking to about 160m above sea level. (not as high as when I hiked the Bastei in Germany, but still up there).
You may curse under your breath about the uphill climb, but the pay off is so worth it. You’ll forget all about your huffing and puffing as soon as you get to the summit, because monkeys! Everywhere!
Some fun facts:
- The Japanese macaques or snow monkeys at Iwatayama Monkey Park are native to Japan and live in the northernmost point in the world.
- There are about 130 snow monkeys at the park, with many living in groups of 30 to 50.
- All the snow monkeys have a name.
- Mating season runs from October to February each year, as evident in the red faces and buttocks deepening in colour.
- Gestation period is about half a year. Baby monkeys are born between April to July.
- Snow monkeys reach adulthood at 10 years of age. Average lifespan is around 30 years.
- The old skin on the monkeys bottoms act as cushions so they can comfortably sit down for a long time.
- Snow monkeys have two mouth pockets which means they can stuff a lot of food in at one time.
- They have 35 teeth, which are made up of milk teeth and permanent teeth. Only male monkeys have two sharp canine teeth.
- Japanese macaques are omnivorous – which means they eat just about anything (but not meat). At the feeding station, staff feed them wheat, soybeans, peanuts, apples, bananas, sweet potato and persimmons.
- In the summer and autumn, they eat fruit, seeds and insects. (cicadas and beetles being a favourite). During winter and spring, they eat the bark and buds of trees. YUM.
Visitors to Iwatayama Monkey Park have the chance to feed the snow monkeys from inside an enclosure and through a caged window. Sean and I didn’t want to do that and spent our time wandering the grounds, observing the monkeys instead.
Like the movie, Gremlins, there are 3 important rules to follow:
- Do not stare monkeys in the eye.
- Do not touch the monkeys.
- Do not feed them outside food.
When taking pictures, visitors should keep the following safety points in mind:
- Keep more than 2 metres distance at all times.
- Do not point cameras or smartphones directly towards the monkeys.
- Do not crouch down to the monkeys’ level.
Strolling through Arashiyama
After visiting with the monkeys, we headed back to the centre. Arashiyama is such a picturesque and quaint town. It’s no surprise this getaway is absolutely heaving with tourists. The walk across the Togetsukyo bridge offered some great views of the Hozugawa river.
There were lots of tourists dressed in kimonos out and about. (had I been visiting Japan with my girlfriends, I’m sure I would be sporting a kimono too)
A real geisha! You can tell by the wig and elaborate hair accessories, white make up and obi.
And the cherry blossoms were in full bloom!
It was just so lovely in Arashiyama that I wish we had more time to explore. This is a must-see place, and not too far from Kyoto.
View more of Kyoto and Japan photos on my Flickr albums.
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
Address:
Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, 616-0007, Japan
GPS coordinates: 35.009651, 135.667191
Iwatayama Monkey Park
Hours:
9am-430pm Sun-Sat
Address:
61 Arashiyama Nakaoshitacho, Nishikyo Ward, Kyoto, 616-0004
GPS coordinates: 35.011528, 135.676671
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