Empty curving path between tall green bamboo stems and low woven brushwood fences

Nature · Arashiyama, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove & Tenryu-ji

Towering bamboo paths beside a great Rinzai Zen temple and its historic pond garden

Ambient sound · similar settingHwamei song in hillside forest at morning

Photo: Fynn Geerdsen (@fynngeerdsen) / Unsplash

Discover Arashiyama Bamboo Grove & Tenryu-ji

On the western edge of Kyoto, the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is a narrow path between walls of tall green stems that sway and creak in the breeze, with light filtering down onto the ground. Japan's Ministry of the Environment considers the grove part of the country's soundscape, and on a quiet morning you can hear why.

Next door, Tenryu-ji is one of the great Zen temples of Kyoto, its Sogenchi pond garden borrowing the wooded slopes of Arashiyama as a backdrop. A side gate links the temple garden with the bamboo path, so the two can be enjoyed together, along with Nonomiya Shrine, Okochi-Sanso Villa and the Togetsukyo Bridge over the river.

Don’t miss

01The bamboo path, lined with tall moso bamboo and woven brushwood fences
02Tenryu-ji's Sogenchi pond garden, with its waterfall stone arrangement and borrowed mountain view
03The Cloud Dragon painting on the ceiling of Tenryu-ji's Dharma Hall (open on selected days)
04Nonomiya Shrine, associated with prayers for good marriages and safe childbirth
05Okochi-Sanso Villa at the top of the grove, with gardens and views over Kyoto
06Shigetsu, Tenryu-ji's restaurant serving Zen vegetarian cuisine

History & culture

The story of Arashiyama Bamboo Grove & Tenryu-ji

Tenryu-ji was built between 1339 and 1345 by Ashikaga Takauji, with the Zen master Muso Soseki as its founding abbot, and Muso also created its garden. The Sogenchi pond was dug with Arashiyama and Kameyama as a borrowed backdrop, and its waterfall stone arrangement, stone bridge and upright stones are regarded as classic examples of Japanese stone setting. Tenryu-ji says the garden was the first place designated by the Japanese government as both a Historic Site and a Place of Special Scenic Beauty, and the temple was registered as part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.

The bamboo grove lies in Sagano on the western side of the city; visitors had to pay to enter it until 2015. Nearby Nonomiya Shrine, on an extension of the grove, is where imperial princesses once purified themselves before serving as priestesses at Ise Jingu.

Local life & traditions

Arashiyama is a favourite place for Kyoto people to enjoy cherry blossoms in spring and autumn colours on the hills. Tenryu-ji is a major, active Rinzai Zen temple complex, so its buildings may close for ceremonies. The area is a Kyoto Beautification Promotion Area: smoking on the street and littering are prohibited, and visitors must never walk onto the railway tracks that cross the district.

Things to do

Experience it like a local

Begin at Tenryu-ji when it opens at 8:30 and stroll around the Sogenchi pond, then use the temple's side gate to join the bamboo path, which the Japan National Tourism Organization recommends as the most dramatic way to enter the grove. Walk on to Nonomiya Shrine and up towards Okochi-Sanso, where admission includes matcha and a sweet in the tea house.

Afterwards, head down to the river and the Togetsukyo Bridge, first built in the ninth century and rebuilt in concrete in 1934. Kyoto City Tourism also suggests an alternative approach to the grove via Kameyama Park and its observatory for fewer crowds. Bamboo craft shops line the streets towards Randen Saga Station.

When to go

Early morning is by far the best time for the bamboo grove, before tour groups arrive. Spring cherry blossom (typically late March to early April) and autumn colours (typically mid to late November) are spectacular on the Arashiyama hills but very crowded. In summer the shade of the bamboo is welcome, although humidity is high. Winter is cold and quiet, and the evergreen bamboo looks good all year.

Plan your visit

Verified information

Tenryu-ji opening hours: 8:30 to 17:00 (last admission 16:50); buildings occasionally close for ceremonies, so check the temple's published closure list before visiting Source: tenryuji.com ↗
Tenryu-ji admission (as published, Oct 2026): Garden: 500 yen (high school and above), 300 yen (elementary and middle school), free for preschool children; buildings an extra 300 yen; Dharma Hall Cloud Dragon painting 500 yen Source: tenryuji.com ↗
Getting there by train: Keifuku (Randen) Arashiyama Station, 5-minute walk; JR Sagano Line Saga-Arashiyama Station, 13-minute walk; Hankyu Arashiyama Station, 15-minute walk Source: tenryuji.com ↗
Bamboo grove access: About a 10-minute walk from Saga-Arashiyama Station on the JR Sagano Line Source: japan.travel ↗
Garden status: Tenryu-ji's garden is a national historic site and special scenic spot, inscribed as part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto Source: nabunken.go.jp ↗
Prayer room for Muslim visitors: Yosiya, 31 Sagatenryuji Tsukurimichicho, Ukyo-ku, has a tatami prayer room with a basin for wudu for restaurant patrons (11:00 to 17:00) Source: kyoto.travel ↗

Checked against the sources on 27 October 2026. Opening times and fees can change — confirm before you go.

Travel tips

Arrive before 8:00 for the bamboo path; it becomes very crowded by mid-morning.
Do not carve, touch or lean on the bamboo, and stay on the path.
Take your rubbish with you or use the bins shown on Arashiyama's trash-can map.
Combine with Kinkaku-ji in the same day by taxi or bus.
Check Tenryu-ji's website for ceremony closures before visiting.

General guidance from our specialists, not official information.

Around Arashiyama Bamboo Grove & Tenryu-ji: food, markets & places to stay

The main street in front of Tenryu-ji is lined with restaurants, sweet shops and souvenir stores, and Randen Arashiyama Station is just a few minutes away. Muslim visitors can use the prayer room at Yosiya near Tenryu-ji if dining there. Togetsukyo Bridge and the riverside are a short walk south, and JR Saga-Arashiyama Station gives a quick connection back to Kyoto Station.