I certainly came back from Japan with a lot of photos, and it inspired me to paint a few scenes. I’ve only tackled them in miniature at the moment. These watercolour paintings are all postcard-sized.
The bamboo forest of Arashiyama.
A snowy rendition of Mount Fuji.
By the time we reached the top of Iwatayama, we saw that we were quite high above it all.
And it’s at this altitude that we find the Iwatayama Monkey Park, a sanctuary for Japanese macaques (or snow monkeys). I’ve met these monkeys before, at Jigokudani near Nagano. This sanctuary might not have hot springs, but the monkeys still run wild and free.
Because the monkeys are wild, humans aren’t allowed to approach, feed or make eye contact with them in the open. So for those who really want to get up close, a cage is provided to keep you safe!
Still it’s all ‘kawaii’ (cute) and it’s interesting how they all interact with each other – and with us.
There was no escaping those crowds though, particularly since we wanted to cross Togetsukyo Bridge, that spanned the Oi River.
There were barriers, traffic wardens, and constant announcements on the town’s PA system. It really was full-on.
The Japanese really love their white gloves when in official roles!
But strangely most people seemed to do an about-turn as soon as they reached the other side. We weren’t complaining.
There were even higher hills on this side of the river. We decided to climb the wooded Iwatayama. The path was sure steep, but scenic.
And there was something special at the end of it, too.
Actually, it wasn’t too difficult to find a bit of peace in Arashiyama. After we walked out of the bamboo forest and into nearby Kameyama Park, we found it straight away.
I wouldn’t say that autumn was in full swing at the time, but we enjoyed a few trees that were giving up their colour.
We walked down the hill to the Oi River, and there we found ‘fire’ and water side by side.
Quite a few people on the water enjoying the scenes.
But we were content to wander along the relatively quiet paths and enjoy the scene on dry land.
In preparing for the trip, we read the Lonely Planet Japan guide a lot. Its cover wooed us to visit the bamboo forest at Arashiyama, a place in the far west of Kyoto. After seeing some crowds the previous day, we thought we would be mentally prepared.
The trip from our side of town was via 2 trains, which was easy enough to navigate, but as soon as we arrived at Arashiyama station, we got a feeling that this was a pretty popular spot.
The bamboo forest was a 10 minute walk, which we shared with the crowds. Others seem to have found a quicker way.
And of course, the bamboo forest was also shared with the masses.
Although I was able to take some pretty shots of the bamboo.
I’ve been told that Kyoto gets even more crowded at Hanami (the cherry blossom viewing season in the spring), which I can’t even imagine. So for those thinking about going to Kyoto (or even Japan for that matter) around that time and are wary of crowds, you have been warned!
Static and Silence 