How to find the secret bamboo grove at Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kyoto

One of the most crowded spots in Kyoto is in the district of Arashiyama. At the base of the Arashiyama Mountains, there is a bamboo grove that draws thousands of visitors every day. Unfortunately, that means it can get crowded. This makes it difficult to get that postcard-perfect photo so often portrayed in the media. But what if we told you that Kyoto is home to another spectacular bamboo grove? One that is almost unknown to tourists, completely deserted, free to enter, and located at a tourist hotspot that you are already likely to visit on your trip to Japan? Keep reading and we’ll tell you how to find the secret bamboo grove at Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto, Japan.

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About the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is one of Kyoto’s most photographed sights. It’s directly off the main street in Arashiyama, a bit north of Tenryu-ji Temple. You can get there by touring the temple and grounds. They will spit you out at the entrance to the bamboo grove. Or, from the main street in Arashiyama, look for Snoopy Chocolat. Turn down the small side street next to it:

Although there are a couple of bends in the road, you cannot go wrong here. It will be obvious where to find the bamboo (and there will be hundreds of other people also there looking for it).

Historically, bamboo was cultivated in Japan for landscape use and for food. In the 1960s, the government extended protection to bamboo groves that hadn’t been lost over time to population growth and residential needs. That is why the Arashiyama grove still stands today.

The grove is open 24 hours per day; there is no gate or admission fee. If you are trying to get an Instagram-worthy photo, be there as soon as the sun comes up. Even then, you’ll probably have to share the grove with a few others – probably including young Japanese couples posing for their wedding photographs. Though you might not be alone, this is still a much better prospect than coming later in the day. At peak times, the path through the grove can be shoulder-to-shoulder with people. Sunset is another good time to visit the grove, after the busloads of day-trippers leave Arashiyama. Just don’t leave your visit too late, as it gets dark in the bamboo grove very quickly.

About Fushimi Inari Shrine

No visit to Kyoto would be complete without a visit to Fushimi Inari, perhaps Japan’s most famous and recognizable landmark. Consisting of thousands of vermilion-red torii gates that climb a hillside in a loop, combined with hundreds of sub-shrines, it’s a very scenic and extensive shrine to visit.

Fushimi Inari shrine is free to visit (which is uncommon among Kyoto’s shrines). It is staffed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but it’s open 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. It gets very crowded, so visit early in the morning or late in the day, or even at night. You can also beat the crowds by climbing through the gates up the hillside away from the entrance. The crowd thins more the higher you go.

You can reach Fushimi Inari by taking the JR Nara Line from Kyoto Station. Inari Station is the second stop along the line.

The secret bamboo grove at Fushimi Inari Shrine

The secret bamboo grove at Fushimi Inari Shrine is just that: a secret. Despite the fact that there were thousands of visitors at the shrine on the day we visited, there was not another soul in the bamboo grove.

Whereas the Arashiyama bamboo grove is larger and can accommodate more people on its wide paths, the downside to it is that the asphalt and wide spacing between walls of bamboo lend a more intentional/artificial feel to it. The secret bamboo grove at Fushimi Inari has a narrow path through it, with walls of bamboo closing in on both sides. The environment here feels more natural. And the bonus is that you can photograph to your heart’s content without having to wait for anyone else to clear your frame.

One downside to the secret bamboo grove at Fushimi Inari is the bugs. Though we didn’t see or feel any mosquitos or other insects during our visit, we did develop some telltale itchy welts later in the day that suggest that there are noseeum-type insects present. Prepare for your visit accordingly.

How to find the secret bamboo grove at Fushimi Inari Shrine

Finding the secret bamboo grove at Fushimi Inari Shrine is quite simple. Using the map above, enter the shrine at the main gate, and begin to climb through the vermilion torii gates up the hillside as you normally would during a visit to the shrine. Stay on the main path through the gates until you come to the first washroom opportunity, where the large gates change over to smaller gates (shown on the lower-right side of the map, above). To reach the washrooms, you’ll need to follow the posted sign to leave the main path, descend a set of steps, and follow a short trail to a white building that encloses the washrooms.

To find the secret bamboo grove, keep following the path beyond the washrooms. You will first come to another sub-shrine with a handful of torii gates and a small set up steps up into them. This sub-shrine is visible from the washroom building. (And this is a great spot to take photos without fighting any crowds!)

The path to the bamboo veers to the right of this sub-shrine. It turns into a dirt path and wraps behind a stand of trees. The beginning of the bamboo is hidden just out of sight around this corner; the walk is less than five minutes from this point.

If you continue through the bamboo grove, you’ll come across a few more sub-shrines. But that was enough for us; the bugs soon chased us back out of the secret bamboo grove and into the main set of torii gates.

Another bamboo grove in Arashiyama

There is one more place in Arashiyama where we found enough bamboo to use as a good photo backdrop. The above photo was taken here, and the location is marked by the red asterisk on the map below.

This is just a small stand of bamboo on one side of a quiet street. It’s definitely not on the same level as the other bamboo groves. But if you’re only looking for a photo backdrop, it might fit the bill.

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In conclusion…

Each of Kyoto’s bamboo groves is magical. They all have a different feel, while retaining the key element of peaceful zen. While the Arashiyama bamboo grove is a well-known tourist attraction, the secret bamboo grove at Fushimi Inari Shrine still feels like an insiders-only destination. What do you think – have you been to the bamboo grove at Fushimi Inari? Did you see anyone else there on your visit? Let us know in the comments below.