NISHIKYO WARD, Kyoto — When we started researching this trip in 2017 and looked at Instagram photos we saw this amazing bamboo forest.
It's located in Arashiyama on the outskirts of Kyoto, about 300 miles west of Tokyo.
You can take a bullet train and get there in two and a half hours. The bamboo groves are stunning!
These trees stretch high into the sky and filter the sunshine beautifully. It provides a spectacular backdrop for pictures.
In fact, everyone who walks along the path is trying to re-create the photos we've seen on Instagram.
This is one of the best places to walk in Japan.
Inside Kyoto said, "If you’ve been planning a trip to Kyoto, you’ve probably seen pictures of the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove – along with the torii tunnels of Fushimi-Inari-Taisha Shrine and Kinkaku-ji Temple, it’s one of the most photographed sights in the city. But no picture can capture the feeling of standing in the midst of this sprawling bamboo grove – the whole thing has a palpable sense of otherness that is quite unlike that of any normal forest we know of."
Inside Kyoto said the bamboo itself doesn't have any specific meaning and is purely decorative.
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
"Arashiyama has been a favorite location of imperial and noble villas and temples from the days of classical Japan (the Heian Period)," Inside Kyoto states on their website. "Bamboo was a popular element in the gardens of these villas. During the Edo Period, bamboo was cultivated in the area for use in many Japanese crafts, as well as for eating (bamboo shoots are a popular ingredient in Japanese food). "
During our visit we saw several people taking a rickshaw through the bamboo forest. If you're in Kyoto, this is a "must see".