Japan 2018: Let's go to Osaka & Kyoto (Pt. 3 - Arashiyama Bamboo Groove + Fushimi Inari)
Day 6
I’m going to preface this and my next post with: Osaka/Kyoto (especially Kyoto) was my favourite place to be. Everything about the Kyoto area I fell in love with: the air, the environment, scenery, ambiance… you get the idea. I’m going to try to put more photos and less words but trying to show the beauty of Kyoto is going to be difficult to do through photos.
With my first trip to Japan, I only spent 1 day in Osaka and 1 day in Kyoto. I HIGHLY recommend you visit this area at least 2 days 1 night like I did, if you’re coming to Japan and you don’t know when you’ll be back. I’d rather you experience some of it rushed than to not experience it at all. It’s amazing!
ARASHIYAMA BAMBOO FOREST
I knew the bamboo forest was going to be extremely busy (as any other attraction would be in Japan) so I woke up at 4AM to pack up my stuff because I knew when I got back, I would grab my stuff, get some breakfast and head out for the day. An amazing thing was that I was only a 5 minute walk from the bamboo forest - First Cabin Arashiyama is super close!
Mornings are beautiful in Japan - makes sense since the sun rises pretty early, so I got to see the sunrise. Plus, they’re kinda chilly so grab a light jacket or something. When I got there, there was maybe 5 others there as well? GREAT time for taking photos if you don’t want anyone in your shot.
It was so quite and peaceful there! There is usually a lot more people near the entrance, so if you go at a busy time, I recommend walking a little further in and you might get a better shot.
If you continue walking though the forest, you’ll reach a T path, turn to the right and keep walking to the end and you’ll reach a small body of water. There is also see a little shrine/temple as well.
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest is something you have to see if its you’re first time visiting but there isn’t actually much to do there but take a few photos. So, after I quickly explored that area, I went back to my capsule hotel, grabbed my things and went to the front desk to return my keys and get my complimentary breakfast. You can check out my last post to see what I ate! It was congee with a bunch of side dishes - light and easy to eat in the morning.
The area around the capsule hotel was beautiful in the morning!
FUSHIMI INARI
Fushimi Inari is also a well known place you should visit if you come to Japan/Kyoto. It is lined with thousands of tori gates, which makes it a great photo spot. Again like with the bamboo forest, it’ll be extremely crowded. If you want great photos, you have to either go early or hike a little further up where there will be less people.
I took my time with the hike up and down, it took me about 2h or so. I think it took my sister and her friends about an hour? Though keep in mind that I had been walking an average of 25,000 steps a day and my ankles were dying (and swollen).
There are a few pit stops and rest stops on the way up. Definitely remember to bring a water bottle as you hike but if you didn’t there are a few vending machines as you hike up.
About half way up (or maybe it was a third) there is a small area where you get a great view of the city. I would stop here and take some photos if that is your thing because (SPOILER ALERT) there isn’t much of a view at the top most part of Fushimi Inari.
Yeah, apologies for the random electricity line in the shot, it was really busy and I didn’t have the time nor patience to wait for people to get out of the way.
As I was on my way down, I saw a lot of cats! I don’t think they were scared of people though because I saw a few girls petting one and after they left, I also went to pet it as well - it just sat there. Quite cute.
Once you finish with your hike (if you finished it completely, since the exit brings you to another area) go back to the main grounds. To the left, there is a street full of food vendors and some restaurants if you walk even further down. I would highly encourage you to try some of the street food - don’t be afraid to try some new things, you might be surprised. I will say however, I probably wouldn’t recommend eating at a sit down restaurant in this area - the food isn’t that great and overpriced in my opinion.
I hope you enjoyed me taking you to the bamboo forest and Fushimi, I definitely recommend these spots if it’s your first time here. Go early if you can as well. Stay tuned for my next post where I will finish off my time here in the Osaka/Kyoto area. If you have any questions or comments, let me know!
Thanks
-Thomas