Nature & Hike · Arashiyama

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove 嵐山 竹林の小径

A 400 m path through towering moso bamboo between Nonomiya Shrine and Okochi Sanso, where the stalks creak and the light filters green: Kyoto's most photographed walk, magical only at dawn.

About

The Chikurin-no-komichi winds through dense groves of moso bamboo rising 20 m on both sides, from Nonomiya Shrine past Tenryu-ji's north gate up to Okochi Sanso. The sound of the wind through the stalks has been selected as one of the 100 Soundscapes of Japan. The path is fenced with traditional brushwood shibagaki. Daytime crowds are enormous, and the grove has suffered from visitors carving initials into the stalks; considerate behaviour is essential. Every December during the Arashiyama Hanatouro illumination, the grove is lit with lanterns along the path in the evenings.

Highlights

• Moso bamboo up to 20 m tall
• Sound of the wind, one of Japan's 100 Soundscapes
• Brushwood shibagaki fences
• December Hanatouro lantern illumination
• Connects Nonomiya Shrine, Tenryu-ji and Okochi Sanso

Tips

• Arrive before 7:30; by 9:00 it is shoulder to shoulder.
• Never carve or touch the bamboo; damage is a serious problem.
• For a quieter bamboo walk try the path behind Adashino Nenbutsu-ji.
• Rickshaw drivers know side paths through private bamboo.

Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09

Nearby

• Okochi Sanso GardenGarden · 80 m away
• Tenryu-jiTemple · 230 m away
• Nonomiya ShrineShrine · 240 m away
• Kameyama Park Observation DeckFree Observatories · 310 m away
• ShoraianRestaurant · 330 m away
• Jojakko-jiTemple · 420 m away
• Fukuda Art MuseumMuseum · 440 m away
• Kyoto Kitcho ArashiyamaRestaurant · 460 m away