Most visitors to Arashiyama follow a familiar path: arrive by mid-morning, walk the Bamboo Grove, snap a photo on the Togetsu-kyo Bridge, and leave before the afternoon crowds peak. It’s beautiful, yes, but also overwhelmingly busy, and often far removed from the tranquillity Kyoto is known for.
The truth is, Arashiyama holds far more than the surface-level highlights that dominate social media feeds. Step just a little further from the crowds and you’ll find hushed moss temples, centuries-old craft shops, riverside footpaths, and quiet neighbourhoods steeped in history. In this guide, we’ll take you beyond the bamboo into the deeper corners of Arashiyama, a slower, richer version of the area that rewards curiosity and a willingness to veer off the tourist trail.
Saga Toriimoto Preserved Street
Step back in time on this beautifully preserved stretch of thatched-roof homes, tea houses, and merchant buildings. The area has been designated an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, and remains one of Kyoto’s most authentic Edo-period streetscapes, largely free of commercialisation.
Seiryoji (Saga Shakado) Temple
A lesser-known temple with deep spiritual significance and peaceful grounds, Seiryōji is a working Buddhist site known for its rare wooden statue of Shakyamuni. The main image is a seated Buddha said to have been brought from China in 985 AD, and is regarded as a National Treasure of Japan.
Adashino Nenbutsuji
Serene and deeply moving, Adashino Nenbutsuji is a memorial site surrounded by bamboo and silence. More than 8,000 stone statues here honour the souls of the forgotten and unclaimed dead, many of whom perished without family during Kyoto’s medieval plagues and famines.
Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple
A whimsical and deeply atmospheric temple featuring over 1,200 hand-carved stone figures, each with its own unique expression. Many of the statues were carved by amateur worshippers during temple restoration efforts in the 1980s, giving the site a distinctly personal and almost playful spirit not found elsewhere.
Gioji Temple
A moss-covered sanctuary with a single thatched hall surrounded by trees, Giōji feels more like a forest dream than a temple complex. Once home to a reclusive nun named Giō who renounced court life, the temple’s soft moss garden and bamboo-framed windows offer a rare glimpse of Heian-era poetic solitude.
Huratto Matcha Soba
Tucked away on a quiet street, this tiny eatery serves handmade soba with a subtle twist—infused with premium Uji matcha. The noodles are freshly made daily using domestic buckwheat and whisked matcha powder from Kyoto’s most historic tea-growing region, offering a rich umami depth not found in typical soba.
Pottery Tanuki
A small studio run by a local ceramicist just minutes from the main street, Pottery Tanuki offers handmade cups, plates, and tanuki figurines in earthy glazes. Every piece is wheel-thrown and fired in a gas kiln on-site, and the artist often works behind the counter, ready to explain his process or customise small pieces on request.
Katsura River Walk
Skip the boat cruises and instead take the footpath that hugs the river from the Togetsu-kyo bridge toward Kameyama Park and beyond. The paved path follows the old riverboat tow route once used to transport lumber and goods to central Kyoto, with scenic resting spots and stone markers still visible along the way.
Suiran Kyoto
For those wanting to stay overnight in Arashiyama, Suiran is one of the most beautiful options in the area. The hotel occupies the former grounds of a 13th-century imperial villa and features riverside suites with private onsen baths sourced from natural Arashiyama spring water.
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