Japan 2023: Day 2 / Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

Today was our first official vacation day, and on our schedule was the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove!

I fell into a very comfortable routine for breakfast. The meals alternated slightly every other day, but I really enjoyed eating fried rice, mushrooms, and eggs with their assorted meats and potatoes. As I get older, I don’t mind eating the same thing for breakfast every day, as long as it was fulfilling and delicious (dinner is a different thing, though!)

Quick settings check! There was a white car right outside the hotel, which was perfect for testing the exposure.

The drive over was about 30 or so minutes. The sun was out and it was fun just watching the scenery pass by. I think, while the subway is very convenient and cheap, you do miss a lot of the in-betweens to your destination. It’s probably because underground makes me feel a little claustrophobic. I much preferred driving — it just feels like there’s more space to breathe and daydream in a car.

The driver dropped us off right at the entrance, so we made our way through the crowd. There were some shops and food stalls, but we figured we’d come back after to browse.

There were tonssss of people there, so I had to get creative with my angles lol! I think if you come much earlier or much later, there may not be so many, but since I was still dizzy whenever I made any directional movements, we tried to be as kind to our bodies as possible.

The bamboo paths were breathtaking, though navigating around everyone was difficult. A lot of people stopped in the middle of the path to take selfies, over and over again… I’m still struggling with how I feel about tourists/vloggers/streamers and the use of selfie sticks/phone tripods. There has to be more considerate ways to take shots that you’re happy with, right…? But it is what it is.

The sun filtering through the leaves is my absolute favorite. Walking leisurely through the paths, the clean air, the beautiful blue sky… the weather was so, so perfect today.

I am so grateful for the many vending machines everywhere, with water that doesn’t cost over $4. We stopped for a little break before moving on.

Some autumn colors coming out!

The sky breaking through the canopy was like a daytime milky way…

There were some people walking their dogs! Was able to snap a few shots of these super cute shibas.

We took a side quest to the Ōkōchi Sansō, which I put in a separate post due to length.

After the garden, we tried to get back to the main road and ended up on a narrow path through the residential streets. It was so refreshing to be away from the noise and the crowd and enjoy the absolutely beautiful countryside.

I’ve always been a fan of Japanese typography and graphic design. I’m sure it’s because of living in another country, but I love the way signs look, especially as they age.

As we walked through the side streets, I couldn’t help but be so enamored by the yuzu and persimmon trees in many of the neighbor’s yards. Even though Washington is well-known for apples, there aren’t many houses I knew of growing up that had fruit trees in their yard. My uncle’s house in Cali had several, though! And their neighbors, too.

Someday I’d like to have a fruit tree and a garden to tend to…

We finally made it to the main road and stopped by Precious Coffee Moments for a late lunch!

This coffee shop is undoubtedly my favorite coffee place we went to, and probably the best decaf iced latte I’ve ever had. So much so that I bought their decaf coffee beans! It’s right across the main entrance to the bamboo paths, so I imagine it’s really popular. However, when we got there, and despite the dizzying crowd outside, it was very peaceful with only a few tables occupied on the ground floor. Sometimes nearby shops can make me all too self-aware that it’s near a tourist location. How do I put it? Like when places can only do the minimum because they have to tend to so many customers, and the care and quality gets lost and you’re just another person passing through. Watching the baristas work, however, I could really feel the passion they had for brewing and preparing their dishes. Somehow, despite being in such a prime location, they really live up to their name. We were able to relax, really relax! The food was amazing. The coffee blew me away (and that was their decaf!). The atmosphere and the layout really allowed you to enjoy your own space without feeling cramped or overwhelmed by the nearness of others. It was a much-needed moment to recharge after walking so much.

I ordered their decaf iced milk coffee latte. The copper mug it came in won me over, and I started wondering if I might want to buy some myself. 😉

Have we just eaten curry three days in a row? Yes. BUT. They all have such distinct flavors between them that I could not get enough. Curry is one of those dishes where I am more than happy to eat multiple times a week.

After lunch, we started walking towards the Saga-Arashiyama station. We didn’t get far before we came across the Rilakkuma Goods Shop, and I fell in love with the adorable desserts…

I couldn’t help myself and combed through the entire shop, haha! I really wanted to try the ice cream, but I was also so full… It was a good thing we had decided to walk, or I would’ve been in trouble LOL.

Thanks for reading!