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Curving path between tall bamboo and brushwood fences in the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
Photo: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Kyoto · nature

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

嵐山竹林の小径

A path of about 400m in Arashiyama, Kyoto, walled in by tall bamboo. Sunlight flickers through on clear days; on cloudy ones it feels dim even at noon.

Straight path lined with bamboo fences running into the Sagano bamboo forest
Photo: Naokijp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A 400m path surrounded by bamboo

The Chikurin no Komichi (bamboo grove path) is a walking route in the Arashiyama and Sagano area of western Kyoto. It runs for about 400m from around Nonomiya Shrine, known for bringing luck in love, past the north gate of Tenryu-ji Temple, to the Okochi Sanso villa, with carefully tended bamboo packed in on both sides.

The area is said to have been a place for aristocrats' villas in the Heian period. Most of the bamboo along the path is moso-chiku, a large species of bamboo.

A bamboo grove to enjoy with your ears too

The Sagano bamboo grove is one of the "100 Soundscapes of Japan to Preserve", chosen in 1996 by what was then the Environment Agency. It is a place to take in with your ears as well as your eyes.

Part of its charm is how it changes with the weather. On sunny days light spills through the stems, while on cloudy days it takes on a calm, dusky mood even in the middle of the day.

Please help protect the bamboo

In recent years there has been a string of graffiti incidents, with letters and symbols carved into the stems with knives and other blades; a Kyoto City survey in October 2025 found more than 350 damaged stems. Damaged bamboo cells do not regenerate, and the weakened stems can fall over. So in November 2025, as a trial, Kyoto City and local groups cut down 25 stems and set the edge of the grove back about 1m from the path.

Damaging the bamboo can count as the crime of criminal damage to property. Please don't touch the bamboo; just take photos.

Getting there

It is about a 10-minute walk from Arashiyama Station on the Keifuku (Randen) tram line, about 13 minutes from JR Saga-Arashiyama Station, and about 21 minutes from Hankyu Arashiyama Station.

There is no entry fee, and you can walk it at any time.

Tips

  • This is a very popular spot. Kyoto City's official tourism site, Kyoto Kanko Navi, has a live camera and a crowd comfort forecast for it, so it is worth checking before you set off.
  • Tenryu-ji Temple and Nonomiya Shrine are close by; visit them together for a classic Arashiyama day.

Sources

Updated 30 September 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.

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