2021. In our Grand Scheme of Travels, Danny and I had planned to be in Japan with Michel. Quod non. So let’s go back to March and April 2013, when my sister Florence, her husband Kenneth, my nephew Leo and my niece Isaline travelled to Tokyo, Hakone and Kyoto. The classic intro to Nippon and a golden opportunity. I grew up with anime such as ‘Dragon Ball‘ and ‘Saint Seiya‘ on television and Japan had been on my wish list since I was little. There’s a lot I don’t remember. But thanks to photos on Facebook, my guidebook and check-ins on Swarm (Foursquare), I can reconstruct parts of that trip. 

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove or Sagano Bamboo Forest is a natural forest of bamboo in Arashiyama. The forest consists mostly of Moso Bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) and consists of several pathways for tourists and visitors. The Ministry of the Environment considers it a part of the soundscape of Japan.

The forest is not far from Tenryū-ji Temple, which is the location of Rinzai School, and the famous Nonomiya Shrine.

Inside Kyoto describes the grove: “If you’ve been planning a trip to Kyoto, you’ve probably seen pictures of the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove – along with the torii tunnels of Fushimi-Inari-Taisha Shrine and Kinkaku-ji Temple, it’s one of the most photographed sights in the city. But no picture can capture the feeling of standing in the midst of this sprawling bamboo grove – the whole thing has a palpable sense of otherness that is quite unlike that of any normal forest we know of.”

So, sorry for the photos. 

2013 Japan Family Trip

1. JAPAN 2013 | Solo in Tokyo.
2. JAPAN 2013 | Tokyo ft. Ueno Park and the Shibuya Crossing.
3. JAPAN 2013 | Tokyo ft. Sensō-ji, Hamarikyu Gardens and the Imperial Palace East Gardens.
4. JAPAN 2013 | Meiji Shrine and Harakuju in Tokyo.
5. JAPAN 2013 | Tokyo ft. Tsukiji Fish Market, Ginza, Zōjō-ji Temple, Tokyo Tower and traditional restaurant Jomon in Roppongi.
6. JAPAN 2013 | Tokyo – Hakone by train.
7. JAPAN 2013 | Hakone Yumoto – Lake Ashi – Owakudani.
8. JAPAN 2013 | Hakone Yumoto Onsen Tenseien.
9. JAPAN 2013 | Kyoto’s Philosopher’s Path and Anraku-ji Temple.
10. JAPAN 2013 | Kyoto’s Ginkaku-ji or Temple of the Silver Pavilion.
11. JAPAN 2013 | Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto.
12. JAPAN 2013 | Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto.
13. JAPAN 2013 | Kinkaku-ji or Temple of the Golden Pavilion in Kyoto.
14. JAPAN 2013 | Kyoto’s other temples: Eikando Zenrin-ji, Nanzen-ji, Chion-in, Shoren-in, Ninna-ji, Tenryū-ji.