Today is western Kyoto - the Arashiyama area. It is possible to clear this area in just half a day, if you plan to only visit just the famous temples only. Otherwise, you can fill the rest of the day with a river boat ride and a visit to their monkey park, and to the gals - shopping!
Taking the train from Shijo-Omiya Station （四条大宮駅）
Attraction #12: Tenryu-ji （天竜寺）
This temple was built in A.D. 1339 after a priest dreamt of a dragon rising from a nearby river. The dragon was thought to represent a deceased emperor's spirit, and so this temple was erected as an appeasement to the spirit. The present building dates from 1900, but the main attraction is the 14th century Zen garden.
The northern exit of the temple. And directly beyond it is the next attraction -->
Attraction #13: Sagano Bamboo Grove （嵯峨野竹林）
For those wanting to combine serenity with a stroll, Sagano Bamboo Grove is the best place to walk in. The dense green bamboo trunks coupled with sunlight creates a surreal effect that makes one feel calm while walking. The bamboo is still used to manufacture various products, such as baskets, cups, boxes, mats and pieces of art at workshops in the Arashiyama area.
We arrived at this temple after walking out of the bamboo grove. Unlike other temples that have some rich history behind them that makes them worth touring, this temple doesn't have much of that. Instead, it just offers good views east over Kyoto.
A trail beside the pond... And then I saw something..
Neko!!
A beautiful valley, with boats dotting the Hozu-gawa river (保津川）
Sakuras on the mountains
Walking through the tortoise garden.. But didn't see any tortoises.
A small dam to harness hydroelectric power of the river
This large notice says that the rows of lamps on the Togetsu-kyo bridge are powered by the electricity generated by the river. And although you can't see it clearly, right now the power generation is 0.03kW.
More shots of the river
Me on the Togetsu-kyo bridge (渡月橋）
Pedestrians and cars crossing the bridge
The area near the Togetsu-kyo bridge is a small but bustling downtown area, since this place is basically a gateway to the attractions of Arashiyama. The Keifuku Arashiyama station is just nearby, so this place will never experience a lack of tourists and shoppers.
The Keifuku Arashiyama train station entrance. Back to central Kyoto.
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