We had come to this area primarily for the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, but we found so much more than we had expected. One of the things about the city of Kyoto is that there’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site around like every corner. We were practically tripping over them. It’s clearly why Harry Truman said no to Kyoto as a target for the nuclear bombings in World War II.
I had read that the Tenryu-ji temple, the head temple of Rinzai Zen Buddhism, was in this area and thought we would check it out if we had some time, but we ended up having to park our rented bicycles in the Tenryu-ji temple parking lot. So it ended up being the first place we explored on foot in the area.
True to the zen buddhism roots of the temple, these temple grounds pretty much exude a sense of, well, zen.
We only had a half day in this Arashiyama area, so we didn’t get to fully explore all the gardens in and around the temple, but I definitely recommend anyone who comes to this area to spend a whole day here really just taking it all in. The temple itself could be a full or half day affair.
It’s a gold mine for photographers or anyone who just love peaceful and contemplative environments.
Next up, Arashiyama’s gorgeous Okochi-Sanso Villa.
