Togetsukyo Bridge

se_0.0

Memories in the West of Kyoto. - Taking a train from Kyoto Station and heading west for about 40 minutes, high mountains come into view, and the urban landscape gradually disappears. Tourists flock to this location around the end of the year, alighting from the train all at once. Following the footsteps of locals, low houses can be seen, and people biking over the tram tracks are a common sight. Square taxis and rickshaws that were seen in Shinsekai, Osaka, are also moving around. Similar to when I visited Shinsekai, I felt like I had stepped into Japan's past. - The reason for cherishing good memories of a place is not only the impact of the space itself but also the process of experiencing it. For me, Arashiyama was such a place. On the last day of my trip to Japan, with nowhere else to go due to the holiday, I visited the bamboo forest by chance. The old tram and tracks, seen only in animations, and the peaceful landscape, different from the city, made Arashiyama a fond memory for me. - Walking through the bamboo forest, one can often hear Korean tourists wondering, 'Isn't this similar to Damyang?' Even knowing this, the reason for visiting the bamboo forest in a foreign land begs the question. For someone like me, the reason was to experience something that couldn’t be felt in the city. The narrow path that winds through densely packed bamboo, with the bamboo towering far above, shading the sky, presents a different spatial experience from walking between buildings. - Arashiyama is an area where the Hozukyo Gorge, formed by the Arashiyama and Atago mountains, and the wide Katsura River running through it, are spread out. It was used as a villa by nobles during the Heian period. The river is connected by the Togetsukyo Bridge, also known as the Moon Crossing Bridge, and the area around it is filled with ryokans and commercial facilities. The final station of the tram, 'Randen Arashiyama' station, is also famous for being surrounded by kimono pillars, the fabric of which is wrapped in acrylic and lights up the night. - Photos, Writing: Jung Se-young (@se_0.0) - #Additional information about Togetsukyo Bridge 📍Location: 1-5 Sagatenryuji Susukinobabacho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, 616-8384 Japan