One of the most famous annual winter night festival, Arashiyama Hanatouro is now in the middle of excitement!! I've guided the tourists from Canada the other day and enjoyed Arashiyama Hanatouro as nice finale of the tour!
The festival will be closing soon till this weekend (19th of Dec). If you're planning to visit Kyoto in this timing, just don't miss this special night illumination!
My one day highlight is usually be started with Arashiyama area to enjoy fresh air in its great nature, and ended up at Kiyomizu temple/Gion area to enjoy those beautiful traditional scenery with wonderful sunset! But only in this tour, I made the plan of the tour completely upside-down!
We started the tour from Kiyomizu temple area, enjoyed both sightseeing and souvenir paradise!! :)
-click on each picture to enlarge-
After enjoyed our lunch at the quiet comfortable traditional restaurant, we've moved on to the most excited part of today's tour,
YES Arashiyama Hanatouro!!! Illuminated Bamboo!!!
In Japan it's quite normal that small children take train or bus to school on their own. I'm always asked by the tourists when we come across such students if they are safe enough??? YES, of course most of the parents are giving their child a mobile phone or a pager for emergencies, school teachers or local people are trying to take care to watch. But this is still one of the biggest SURPRISE for overseas people!!
While waiting that the light-up will be started at 5:00pm, we've visited at the World Heritage site of Tenryuji temple. Just before the closing time of the temple, there are almost no visitors other than us, very lucky. We could fully enjoy its spiritual mood in the air... as if we're the monks ourselves...
We started the route from Nonomiya shrine area. Even just at 5pm, it's already getting very dark in the area, now it's high time of the illusion!
I'm visiting this Arashiyama bamboo almost every week, but only in the day time. I just couldn't believe that I was standing in the same place! :) We're in the middle of wonderland with super excitement.
After great excitement, we've found very hungry all at once! They asked me if there are any nice restaurant, so I've introduced one of my favorite nice traditional restaurants in the area. They offer the special cuisine, Yuba Kaiseki, a tofu speciality. Each food comes in artistic way with delicate taste and flavor...
It was a long day in the tour from morning to night, but we've enjoyed each scene and attraction in 200%!! :)
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