Episode 229 - Where Beauty Remains

Some photos taken at Arashiyama during the recent journey.

It has been more than 10 years since my last visit to Arashiyama.  This time:  no sakura, no red maple, no snow ........   but beauty remains.

Episode 89 - Arashiyama in the Rain

I took this photo at the Kameyama Park of Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan in 1993.

You can see a stone monument with a Chinese poem engraved on it. The poem was written by the late Premier Zhou Enlai of China when he visited Japan in 1919. The stone craving is the calligraphy of Liao Chengzhi. The poem is called "Arashiyama in the rain":

【雨中嵐山】　　周恩來

雨中二次遊嵐山
兩岸蒼松夾著幾株櫻
到盡處突見一山高
流出泉水綠如許
鏡石照人
瀟瀟雨霧濛濃
一線陽光穿雲出
愈見姣妍
人間的萬像真理
愈求愈糢糊
- 糢糊中偶然見著一點光明
真愈覺姣妍


Arashiyama in the Rain　　Zhou Enlai

Visiting Arashiyama for the second time in the rain.
River banks line with pines and patch with blossoming cherries.
End of the road emerges a tall mountain,
with spring water running out so green.
Rocks in the river reflecting visitors' images.
In the foggy rain,
a ray of sunlight shines through a gap in the clouds.
Arashiyama becomes much more beautiful.
Like searching for the absolute truth in human world,
The more effort you put in, the more confused you become.
- once you see a light in such confusion,
You really feel the beauty of it.

[my translation]


I first visited Arashiyama in 1986. I had never heard of this place before when I arrived at Kyoto. I recall that I bought a one-day bus ticket and travelled along the tourist route as suggested by the ticket office. It was already in the late afternoon when the bus stopped at a station near Bridge Togetsu. I was deeply impressed by the beauty of this area and have since revisited it for many times. Apart from the cherry blossoms season (when Premier Zhou visited Arashiyama), I also like the red leaves season and the snow season.

Episode 85 - Crossing the moon

This photo was taken at Arashiyama, Kyoto.

Arashiyama is at the outskirt of Kyoto and is accessible by trains or by buses. The photo shows the landmarks of this area: Mount Arashi, Katsura River and the Togetsu Bridge.

Apart from the river side as shown in the photo, other points of interests around the area include Tenryuji, a famous Zen temple, and the Bamboo Groves. To enjoy the beauty of the Hozu River at the upper stream and the surrounding valleys, you can take the Sagano Romantic Train from Arasiyama to Kameoka and return by a boat trip down the Hozu River and back to the Katsura River.

The Togetsu Bridge is a long semi-wooden bridge crosses the Katsura River. The beautiful Mount Arashi forms a dramatic backdrop to the bridge. It is an excellent place to view cherry blossoms.

Literally, Togetsu means "crossing the moon" - it is where you can appreciate the beauty of "Mirror Flower, Water Moon".