Arashiyama or Ranzan (嵐山)

Arashiyama or Ranzan

Place name in Japan

Arashiyama - Place name in Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture
Descriptions of Arashiyama are provided in this article.

Ranzan-machi - One of the towns in Hiki-gun, Saitama Prefecture
This town was named Musashi Ranzan because it has a valley of which the scenery resembled that of Arashiyama in Kyoto City.

Arashiyama - Mountain located in Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Its peak is 406 m above sea level. It is along the Tokai Nature Trail.

Arashiyama - One of the plays of Japanese lyrical Noh drama
Kojin-mono (play in which a malevolent, destructive deity is a main character) in Wakino-mono (play subject to the first category in five major categories, where a deity is a main character)

Arashiyama is one of the sightseeing areas in Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture. This is designated as one of the historic sites and beauty spots in Japan. The place name originally shows Nishikyo Ward (on the right bank of the Katsura-gawa River (Yodo-gawa River system), and the area on the left bank is Sagano, Ukyo Ward, but, because the are around Togetsu-kyo Bridge including the Saga area is collectively introduced as Arashiyama in the tourist information, etc., this article provides explanations of whole area around Togetsu-kyo Bridge as Arashiyama.

Arashiyama is a place renowned for its cherry blossoms and autumn leaves. Arashiyama, located in the west of urban area of Kyoto City, has represented sightseeing areas in Kyoto ever since noble families used this place as a resort area in the Heian period. The Togetsu-kyo Bridge over the Katsura-gawa River running through the central part of Arashiyama is a symbol of Arashiyama. A river above the Togetsu-kyo Bridge is named Oi-gawa River, and that below it is named Katsura-gawa River. On the north of the Sanin Main Line of West Japan Railway Company, lie sightseeing areas called Sagano.

The original main purpose of sightseeing was to visit temples and shrines, and to enjoy scenery such as autumn leaves, etc. In 1980s, many entertainers' shops drastically increased around the area on the north of Togetsu-kyo Bridge, and attracted young tourists including students on school excursions, but, some people had an unfavorable opinion because such shops might destroy the atmosphere. After the burst of the economic bubble, such entertainers' shops started to decline.

In and after 1990s, small-scale museums opened one after another. Additionally, a hot spring was found through drilling.

Because the heavy traffic paralyzes road traffic in the tourist season, regulations were imposed on cars coming into the city, together with the implementation of a trial operation of a park-and-ride system to carry visitors by bus (public transport) from an inexpensive or free parking area developed in the suburb.

Forestry was active in the areas along the Hozu-gawa River above the Oi-gawa River, and the river was used to carry the logged timber to the city of Kyoto. Arashiyama was the terminal point, and people can now enjoy going down the same course on a pleasure boat from Kameoka City through the Hozu-kyo Gorge Hozu gawa River rafting.

Major sightseeing spots

Temples and shrines
Tenryu-ji Temple
Horin-ji Temple (Nishikyo Ward, Kyoto City)
Nonomiya-jinja Shrine
Hogon-in Temple
Museums, etc.
Shigure-den
Kyoto Arashiyama Orgel Museum
Misora Hibari Memorial Hall - Opened on April 26, 2008 after renovating 'Misora Hibari Hall' temporarily closed in November 2006

Others
Togetsu-kyo Bridge: Lighted up at night with electricity by small-scale hydroelectric power generation
The bridge looks like a wooden bridge in photographs, but, its main body has a structure of reinforced concrete (only parapets are made of wood), and it is a practicable bridge also for cars.

Sagano Scenic Line of Sagano Scenic Railway: Sight-seeing tram running between Saga Torokko Station and Kameoka Torokko Station (no operation in winter)

Okochi villa
Arashiyama Hanatoro (Light and Blossoms Pathway)
Mt.Ogura
Torii-gata (shape of Shinto shrine gate) (Mt. Mandara) (Gozan no Okuribi (Mountain Bon Fire))
Kameyama Park (Kyoto City)
Stone monument engraved with a poem composed by Zhou Enlai
Arashiyama Park (Nakanoshima)
Arashiyama Monkey Park (Mt. Iwata)

Accessibility by transportation

Kyoto Bus Co., Ltd.
Kyoto City Bus
Arashiyama Station (Hankyu) on the Hankyu Arashiyama Line
Arashiyama Station (Keifuku Electric Railroad) of Keifuku Electric Railroad Co., Ltd.
Saga Arashiyama Station on the Sagano Line of West Japan Railway Company
Nagatsuji-dori Street - Street running through the central part of Arashiyama

[Original Japanese]