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Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
A walkway of about 400 metres cutting through dense Moso bamboo in western Kyoto's Arashiyama-Sagano district. No gates, no admission, no set hours — and it connects several of the area's landmarks in a single stroll.
The Sagano Bamboo Path (Chikurin no Komichi) threads through the Arashiyama-Sagano area of Kyoto's Ukyo ward. The route runs from near Nonomiya Shrine, past the north gate of Tenryuji temple, and up a gentle slope toward the Okochi-Sanso villa. Moso bamboo — thick-stalked and tightly packed — arches overhead into a green canopy that filters the light. The path links several of the district's landmarks in one stroll, and multiple sources confirm it is open and free at any hour.
Background & history
The path runs through Arashiyama and Sagano, cherished since the Heian period (794–1185) as a retreat for the aristocracy. Nonomiya Shrine, within the grove, was historically a purification site for the imperial saio priestesses sent to serve at Ise Shrine, and appears in Murasaki Shikibu's eleventh-century novel The Tale of Genji. Tenryuji, whose north gate the path passes, was founded in 1339 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
What to look for — in walking order
- Nonomiya Shrine
- a small shrine within the grove, tied to the imperial saio priestesses and to The Tale of Genji
- The bamboo tunnel
- roughly 400 metres where dense Moso bamboo stalks arch overhead into a green canopy
- Tenryuji north gate
- the path passes the back gate of Tenryuji, a Zen temple founded in 1339 and a World Heritage Site
- Okochi-Sanso villa
- a former actor's garden villa at the western, uphill end of the path
How to enjoy it
Enter from the Nonomiya Shrine or Tenryuji side and walk up toward the Okochi-Sanso villa to take in the grove and its neighbouring landmarks in one unhurried loop. Morning, before the daytime crowds build, is when the path is at its calmest — and because there are no gates or admission, you can time your visit freely.
How to actually get there
- Kyoto Station → Saga-Arashiyama Station (JR Sagano Line, Local ~17 min or Rapid ~11 min, 240 yen).
- Saga-Arashiyama Station → Tenryuji temple / bamboo path entrance (walk ~10 min).
- Walk the 400-metre bamboo corridor toward the Okochi-Sanso villa, then turn back before the crowds arrive.
- JR Sagano Line, direct from Kyoto Station
- Kyoto Station →(JR Sagano Line, Local ~17 min or Rapid ~11 min)→ Saga-Arashiyama Station, then a ~10 min walk to the bamboo path. Fare 240 yen. Total about 25-30 min door to path. Trains run about every 15 minutes, so no timetable planning is needed.
- Return from Saga-Arashiyama Station
- Walk back to Saga-Arashiyama Station and take the JR Sagano Line to Kyoto Station (~11-17 min). Trains run frequently through the day, so no return time needs to be planned. Note the last train departs before midnight — check the time on the platform if you stay into the evening.
Before you go
- Cash
- The bamboo path is free. JR Saga-Arashiyama Station accepts IC cards (such as ICOCA and Suica) and cash. Entering the Tenryuji temple garden, which is optional, costs a separate admission fee.
- Closing days
- The path is fully paved but open to the wind. After sunset there is no lighting, except during the Hanatoro light-up events held in some spring and winter seasons.
- Another way
- From Osaka (Umeda), take the Hankyu line to Katsura, change to the Hankyu Arashiyama Line to Arashiyama Station, then walk about 15 minutes to the grove.
- After you get off
- From Saga-Arashiyama Station, walk southwest about 10 minutes on paved streets to the Tenryuji temple area, then enter the bamboo path.