My visit to Ishiyama-dera temple in Shiga at Biwako lakeside 2 weeks ago made me being passionate for watching autumn color leaves in Kyoto and Kansai area.
I popped up on a flight to Itami last Friday to visit premire autum views and started my walk from Sagano and Arashiyama , the country side of Kyoto (20-60 min from Kyoto Station).
First I went to Torolley train station and found no seat is available until sunset so I gave up that plan.
I picked up a taxi to “Odagi-dera
” for 5-10 minutes to about a half mile north of famous “Adashino Nenbutsu-dera” (Tera/dera/ji
means temple).
Odagi-dera is the best place to start your walk in Sagano-Arashiyama area. You see less people and enjoy quiet and more peaceful atmosphere with colored leaves and singing birds in hills. The Odagi-dera is famous with small Buddhism statues called “Jizo”. The figure is very unique and I saw more Polynesian native influence rather than sophisticated Chinese continental culture on the statue and it is making the temple and the view incomparable to anything.
Then I visited most favorite temple “Gio-ji”.
The scenery of its garden is delicate art. You will just make sigh and no word will come up to explaine the beauty and feeling in your mind.
After “Gio-ji” I went about 1 mile to “Daikaku-ji
”.
If you are an architect savvy, Daikaku-ji is your place. The temple has more than 1000 yeaers history and the style is following Kyoto traditional noble hose and 17-18 C samurai (sword man) style mixed with decollation in early 17th century. From the building you can see the scenery with Hirosawano-ike pound with colored leaves too.
Then I went for another mile to “Togetsukyo ” bridge in Arashiyama. It was too dark with too many people. You can enjoy the view much better in early in the morning when sun in east light up the mountainside with trees. Togetsu means walking towards the moon. It is a pretty place. You can avoid clouded people early in the morning.
Sagano - Arashiyama provides a lot to enjoy Japanese beauty and tradition as well as country side nature. With a map it is easy to walk and the distance you go is about 2 miles to 7 miles, depending on how many places you visit in the area. I can write on and on for its Kyoto country style house/buildings and the beauty of path in the bamboo forests. You will love it.
Only a littele challenge I should mention was finding good food there.
All restaurants are filled with too many people and I saw the price was a bit high for the value. So getting snacks around the station area may be the smart way to fill your stomach.
Access: About 15 min from JR Kyoto station by train to Arashiyama
About 40 min bus from Kyoto station or Shijo-Kawaramachi by bus (number is limited)
About 20 min by tram from Shijo-Omiya to Arashiyama. => Good for sightseeing, if you have time.
Enjoy Kyoto!
Natalie