Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is a natural forest of bamboo in Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan.
This bamboo forest is mostly made up of a particular type of bamboo called Moso Bamboo, the scientific name is Phyllostachys edulis. It is a gigantic bamboo plant that is not originally from Japan but native to China and Taiwan. The species is found in several other parts of Japan. This species of bamboo shoots up to 92 feet high and beautiful sight. The Ministry of the Environment considers it a part of the soundscape of Japan. Before 2015, there was a charge to access the forest.
It covers an area of 16 km2 (6.2 sq mi). The region experiences unpredictable weather, with a cool climate and bright sunlight. The summers are short, hot, and mostly cloudy. The winters are cold, windy, and partly cloudy. It is also wet year-round. Over the year, the temperature typically ranges from 32 °F (0 °C) to 89 °F (32 °C). The summers last for approximately two months, from late June until mid-September, with an average daily high temperature above 80 °F (27 °C). The winters last for approximately three months, from early December to mid-March, with an average daily high temperature below 53 °F (12 °C).
The Arashiyama bamboo grove has had millions of tourists walk in through its gates for years. Unfortunately, not all tourists are mindful of the environment. The bamboo plants have been vandalized by tourists who curve their initials on them. Most of these names are of foreign tourists marking their visit to the forest.
