West Kyoto · ArashiyamaNo.124★★★Open in map →

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

natureThe classic — done right

A walkway of about 400 metres cutting through dense bamboo in western Kyoto's Arashiyama-Sagano district. Free to walk by day, it connects several of the area's landmarks in a single stroll.

FromKyoto Station
~25 minJR train, every ~15 min
Get off atSaga-Arashiyama Station (JR Sagano Line)
On foot
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

Directions ↗

Where it is

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What to look for — in walking order

Nonomiya Shrinea small shrine where the path begins, tied to the imperial saio priestesses and to The Tale of Genji
The bamboo tunnelroughly 400 metres where dense bamboo closes overhead into a green canopy
Tenryuji north gatethe path passes the back gate of Tenryuji, a Zen temple founded in 1339 and a World Heritage Site
Okochi-Sanso villaa former actor's garden villa at the western, uphill end of the path

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.

Directions from my location (Google Maps) ↗

About the place

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. Tall, tightly packed bamboo closes overhead into a green canopy that filters the light. The path links several of the district's landmarks in one stroll, and it is free to walk by day.

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 the path is free to walk by day, you can time your visit freely.

Background & history

The path runs through Arashiyama and Sagano, said to have been a retreat for the aristocracy in the Heian period (794–1185). Nonomiya Shrine, where the path begins, stands on a site used by imperial saio priestesses to purify themselves before going to serve at Ise Shrine, and it is depicted in the Sakaki (Sacred Tree) chapter of 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.

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.
Good to know: From 30 Sep to 8 Nov 2026, the path hosts Arashiyama Tsukitouro, a ticketed evening light-up (18:00–21:00, last entry 20:40). Same-day tickets cost 1,500 yen, cash only, from the booth on the path; ages 12 and under are free.
Another way: From Osaka (Umeda), take the Hankyu line to Katsura, change to the Hankyu Arashiyama Line to Arashiyama Station, then walk about 20 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.