Today was my last full day in Kyoto, so I was determined to cram a couple of significant places into the day by starting early. I was a bit disappointed that I wasn’t going to get chance to visit Hiroshima, but I would have needed another full day for this trip.
So, my first port of call for the day was the famous Bamboo Forest which is a couple of short train rides away from the centre of Kyoto, and then a short walk. The Bamboo Forest is in the beautiful region of Arashiyama in western Kyoto.
The Bamboo Forest is a truly magical experience where the large bamboo canes tower up to the sky, and when the sun shines shadow dance between the trees and glisten. When the wind blows, a whistling sound can be heard as the bamboo sways back and forth. The forest is said to be one of the most photographed places in Kyoto and I can see why. It was quite busy already when I arrived in the early morning, so I’m not sure when the best time of day is to come here. It was at least a good dry day to explore this area.
After walking around the Bamboo Forest, I paid to go around the gardens and to see the Tenryu-ji Temple that overlooks a lovely lake. This was well worth a trip, as the gardens are beautiful, and I got some great views out across the city from the highest point. My admission also included a small piece of confectionary and cup of matcha green tea in the authentic tearoom.
After a short break, my afternoon trip was to Nara on the JR line and took less than an hour. Nara is possibly one of Japan’s greenest cities. This peaceful town lies on the edge of a large park that is famous for its roaming deer, or shika, as they are known in Japan. There are thought to be approximately 1,200 deer in the park area, and they are protected by law. The deer are believed to be messengers of the gods, and they freely wander up to met you and find out if you have any tasty treats for them. I ended up buying some deer biscuits to feed them with that were actually quite cheap! The deer are such a prominent feature of the park that they are available in many forms throughout the souvenir shops.
The other famous feature of Nara is through the park: the Todai-ji Temple, which is quite spectacular and, in my opinion, up there as one of the top temples of Japan. The temple is the world’s largest wooden building and houses a huge bronze Budhha statue. During Nara’s reign as capital, 2,600,000 people are believed to have helped in the building of Todai-ji.
Nara is also known for ‘Kaki-no-hazushi’, which is its own style of sushi that is wrapped in persimmon leaves. It is also known for ‘Narafude’, which are calligraphy brushes made from animal hair, and ‘Nara Sarashi’ which is a type of fabric, and made into blankets, handkerchiefs, towels, etc.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable day with good sunny weather and was finished off nicely by some refreshments before heading back to Kyoto. There are a few cafes available on the road outside the park, and a large Starbucks with a balcony that offers great views overlooks the park – I don’t work for Starbucks, honestly!
