Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

Arashiyama is in western Kyoto and, although pouring rain when I headed out, I decided that maybe, just maybe, that would slow down some tourists and it would be less crowded at the Bamboo Grove. I took two buses to get there (the first had only 3 stops, the second 27 stops) but I was able to stay dry and needed to walk only a few minutes to and from the bus.

The main street of the town is a circus so I quickly veered off to head toward the grove. It was much more crowded than I expected and was a bit like umbrella hell. I had a good umbrella but was totally soaked before I even got to the bamboo. People need to learn umbrella etiquette.

The path began with stands of beautiful bamboo and was quite crowded to start but slowly opened up as I maneuvered my way around umbrella wielding tourists.

I'd say much of the bamboo was well over 60 feet in height with some reaching even higher. Some of the stalks were several inches in diameter.

The bamboo towers along the path as you make your way into the grove. At this point there was a steady rain which danced off the bamboo and added a musical quality to the walk.

And then...you come upon the most extraordinary path of emerald green.

It was really challenging capturing the beauty in the pouring rain but I know you can still see the grandeur of this place.

Even with the pouring rain, crowds and umbrella, this was a truly soothing place to spend some time.