Apr 26, 2013 - 1 min read

An Afternoon in Arashiyama Kyoto

Beyond the silent screen on Togetsukyo Bridge

By Bonson Lam

Community writer

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A Sunday Afternoon in Sagano Arashiyama just 17 minutes ride from Kyoto Station

Marbles in every shade of Cerulean blue at Sagano Arashiyama just 17 minutes ride from Kyoto Station

The gentle pleasures of boating from the Tale of Genji is recreated on a sunny afternoon in Arashiyama

Row row row a boat gently down the stream at Arashiyama

Stroll through a bamboo forest Sagano Arashiyama just 17 minutes ride from Kyoto Station

Just a few minutes upstream from the crowds in Sagano is a unspoilt paradise

There are many immaculate strolling gardens within earshot of Arashiyama Station

The Sagano bamboo forests in Arashiyama are like a silent screen, where you leave behind the stresses of the city and be transported to a slower, gentler time. Likewise, if you cross the Togetsukyo Bridge and head away from the city, you will soon find yourself surrounded in a nature sanctuary, where you can float by on the same kind of wooden boats that were used a thousand years ago, and recall the stories from the Tale of Genji, the oldest novel in the world. Come, and charm yourself, in Sagano Arashiyama. These days, it is easy to transport yourself to paradise. Frequent trains on the Hankyu and Japan Rail (JR) lines from Kyoto means that you can get to Saga Arashiyama Station in 17 minutes, more quickly than Kiyomizudera or Kinkakuji by bus.

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By Bonson Lam

Community writer

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Elena Lisina 5 years ago

Very beautiful places! I just wish there were less tourists! :)

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Elena Lisina 5 years ago

Bonson, thank you for the reply! In Kyoto I stayed in a hotel located on a side street of Gion district, and it was the samw - very quiet on mornings and evenings. I had pleasant walks along Kamo river and to Yasaka shrine. At 7 am it was quiet there.

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