For a romantic, easy-going trip with the significant other, minus all the hassles, make sure you visit Arashiyama, a district in the west of Kyoto, Japan. Considered an esteemed holiday spot by the nobles of the Heian period, today quaint Arashiyama is one of Kyoto's most popular tourist destinations.
Sagano Romantic Train.
Start bonding by grabbing tickets for a boat ride down the Hozu River from Kameoka to Arashiyama. To keep the touristy feel alive, boat rides should never be left out, no matter how mundane they seem. It may seem ho-hum to just sit there passively, but feeling the fresh air on your face and being surrounded by stunning sights can really bring you a breath of new life. Or it must be something about the water that brings life into one, both symbolically and literally.
The boat ride may be the highlight of your day, with its alternating moments of raging torrents that sprinkle you with icy cold crystal-clear water (so you don't fall asleep), and cruising in calmness.
I loved how I was sat amidst undisrupted nature on the wooden boat with the three rowers (no buzzing motors!) with an endless view of mountains on both sides covered with verdant greenery and spectacular trees that have been around for hundreds of years. The wow factor also goes up a notch during fall, with the trees turning different shades of oranges, reds and yellows.
View from the train.
Along the 16km of ravine, some of the spectacular sights you will see are rocks shaped like turtles, swirling deep pools, and cute animals of different shapes and sizes, from ducks and storks to monkeys. I won't lie _ you will have a fair share of sunshine to sit through, but it's most welcome during the colder seasons when the breeze chills you every now and then. It's two hours well spent to reflect on your thoughts in a serene setting, if not to canoodle with your significant other.
Towards the end of the ride, a boat selling aromatic treats such as grilled squid and dango _ Japanese dumplings made from rice flour on a skewer _ will float by, giving you a chance to enjoy some bites while cruising, before you finally reach the dock at Arashiyama.
Arashiyama district gives the feeling of visiting a place culturally pure and untouched by the commercialisation that is so rampant in tourist destinations these days. The ability to let culture and commercialisation co-exist together without one overshadowing the other is a trait Japan has mastered rather well.
Old villas, narrow streets and shrine compounds with bright-red lanterns are filled with traditional souvenirs and crafts. You can grab lunch from one of the many restaurants dotting the main street, but the roadside snacks such as soft-cream and potato croquettes are delicious alternatives that allow you to walk around (hand-in-hand, optional).
The boatman takes a quick rest.
Within the area is also the famous Togetsukyo Bridge, the symbol of Arashiyama. The "Moon Crossing Bridge" itself is plain, but offers the most romantic and beautiful viewpoint in Kyoto. It's the perfect photo opp with backdrops of Mt Arashiyama, the sparkling river and an endless canopy of trees, their colour depending on the season.
After considerable time shopping and walking around, enter the Tenryu-ji Temple (also in the district) to get your cultural fix. Founded in 1339, it is the head temple of the Tenryu-ji Rinzai Zen sect and is also a Unesco World Heritage site. Even if you don't care about all the history, the brilliant Zen gardens and pools, as well as the shrines, won't fail to impress. For an elevated and panoramic view of the garden pond, get into the temple. Don't miss this remarkable site if you want to know what it feels like to be standing in sheer Japanese serenity.
As you leave the temple for the garden grounds, the pathway cutting through the mossy gardens will take you to the northern gate. Go through that exit, and you will arrive at Arashiyama's famed bamboo forest.
Shops and restaurants in Arashiyama district.
The walk through the 200m-long forest (hand-in-hand optional, again) is an elating experience where you are enveloped by rows of towering emerald-green bamboo that makes finding the light at the end of the tunnel something to look forward to. Imagine that feeling one would get, walking into a wondrous tunnel that will take you to a mystical land, but minus the creepers and bad news that would follow, of course. There's no mystical land at the end of the tunnel, but the walk itself creates a mystical sense of detachment from the real world.
Upon reaching the end of the forest, take a right turn and walk a few minutes further until you reach the station of the Sagano Romantic Train, which will take you from Arashiyama back to Kameoka area. The bright red train will chug its way on a narrow track through the canyon that follows the course of the Hozu River you cruised on previously.
You'll see the groups of friendly Japanese people floating in the boats _ if you wave to them, they will enthusiastically wave back to you.
The wooden seats on the train are hard and plain, but the simplicity of the bare essentials gives a more romantic feeling while taking you past the line of colourful trees. As the end of the 20-minute ride approaches, the train driver will burst into a cheery (but off-key) song that gives a pleasant yet amusing close to your romantic day out.
A stroll through the bamboo grove.
The lake garden at Tenryu-ji Temple.
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About the author
Writer: Parisa PichitmarnPosition: Reporter
Article source: http://www.thethailandlinks.com/2012/12/06/enchanting-arashiyama/
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