West Kyoto · ArashiyamaNo.124★★★Open in map →
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.
- FromKyoto Station
- ~25 minJR train, every ~15 min
- Get off atSaga-Arashiyama Station (JR Sagano Line)
- On foot
- Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
Where it is
90 more notes in Kyoto · open the map →What to look for — in walking order
- Nonomiya Shrinea small shrine within the grove, tied to the imperial saio priestesses and to The Tale of Genji
- The bamboo tunnelroughly 400 metres where dense Moso bamboo stalks arch 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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
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.
- Before you go
- 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.