Touring the beautiful scenery of arayishama

As we embark on this beautiful Arayishama tour experience I would like to provide background information that will definitely enhance the fantastic moments that will form part of this experience. For starters, this festival is called the Arashiyama Momiji Festival and we will be celebrating the colorful autumn leaves as well as performers dressed in traditional Heian Period costumes. The highlight of this festival will be the reenactment of the nobles cruise down the Oi River in small boats in which will form a spectacular sight.

The main focus of this tour will be to be able to recreate the traditions and atmosphere of the ancient Kyoto Heian court with traditional events and performances with an amazing backdrop of autumn leaves. This festival will be taking place in Arayishana, Kyoto on November 8 from 10: 30Am-12: 00PM and from 1: 00PM to 3: 30PM and the admission will be of no charge. In relation to how to arrive at the festival’s location it is best to get to Arayishama from the Kyoto Station on the JR Sagano Line (JR Sanin line). There is also a one way ride that can take you to Saga-Arayishama Station that takes only 15 minutes and central Arayishama can be reached by a 10 minute walk from the station. Festival day has arrived and we are finally able to witness the beautiful moments that entail of the Arayishama Momiji Festival.

Aside from November being one of the best times to visit Japan, a lot of enchanting festivals also occur such as the Momiji Festival. The word “ Momiji” means red leaves in which autumn trees entail of. We are now approaching the beautiful sight of five elaborately decorated boats that are floating on the nearby Oi River. The boats are filled with individuals whom are dressed in the traditional Heian costumes that were worn during the Heian period (794-1185).

During the Heian period, elegance and manner were highly treasured. The costumes include of white face powder that is able to make their skin look very pale while also making their eyebrows look invisible. They also paint their cheeks and lips with a little red while also making sure their teeth look black in reference to the belief that white teeth is unattractive. As you can hear, they are currently playing a musical instrument called Shakuhachi in which is a Japanese end-blown flute and another musical instrument called Koto that is a Japanese stringed musical instrument. Some background information consisting of the Shakuhachi instrument includes of this being an instrument that was originally introduced into Japan from China in the 6th century. The traditional Shakuhachi instrument that we are seeing right now is mad out of bamboo material. The other instrument that we are seeing being played by one of the individuals is the Koto instrument that is considered the national instrument of Japan that also came to Japan from china in the 7th and 8th century.

The version of this instrument that is being played is the first known version that entails of five strings in comparison to the eventually increased version of seven strings. At this moment I would like to mention the best spot in which we are able to get the best scenery of the autumn maple leaves. Let’s now head to nearby Kameoka, which is about 25 minutes away from where we are. You guys will see just how beautiful the scenery is due to the outside gardens being completely full of maple trees that have turned into a beautiful red now that the autumn season has arrived. This also a good option for families with children as it is a safe activity that will allow to enjoy the beautiful views without having to move through the crowded streets of Arashiyama. We will now proceed to Kyoto Station in which we will then take JR line to Saga-Arayashima Station.

Once we are there we will then embark on the transfer trains that head to the Torokko Saga Station of the Sagano Scenic Railway. If you guys are also in for a bite I do recommend that we visit the Cube Gourmet Street that is situated on the 11th floor on the west side of the station building with nine different restaurants that each include of their own specialty. One particular restaurant that is one of my favorites is the tonkatsu restaurant called Katsukura that features delicious deep fried and breaded choice cuts of pork that are served with rice, and miso soup. The most convenient part about this food chain is that if you desire extra servings of rice, cabbage and soup it is completely free of charge. Now let’s continue exploring the beauty of Arayashima, shall we!