Arashiyama Bamboo Grove hosts light-up from 30 September
Published on 10/04/2026 at 07:35 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove (Chikurin no Komichi) in Kyoto is hosting Arashiyama Bamboo Light-up from 30 September to 8 November 2026. The evening programme is taking place in the famous bamboo path in western Kyoto, with the 2026 edition expanding the illuminated area.
Arashiyama Bamboo Light-up runs through 8 November
The event runs every day from 30 September 2026 until 8 November 2026, with lighting scheduled from 6pm to 9pm. The venue is the bamboo path in the Saga and Arashiyama district, where the installation places illuminated bamboo features along the walking route and creates a separate paid zone within part of the grove.
The event is organised by the Arashiyama Tsukitouro Executive Committee. A report published on 3 October says the illuminated area has been expanded from the previous edition, after the 2025 event attracted large numbers and its tickets sold out across the run. The same report identifies the bamboo path as the venue and gives the 2026 dates. The event announcement for the 2026 light-up also lists the organiser and the evening schedule.
The Kyoto bamboo path becomes an evening event venue
Kyoto City describes the Saga and Arashiyama area as being northwest of Kyoto City and identifies the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and Togetsu-kyo Bridge among its best-known places. The bamboo grove is part of a wider sightseeing district that also includes temples, museums, traditional shops and riverside routes.
Arashiyama Bamboo Light-up connects that daytime landscape with a fixed evening programme. The link is practical as well as visual: visitors who normally approach the grove as a daytime walking path will find an organised illumination event occupying part of the route between 30 September and 8 November 2026. Kyoto's official tourism listing confirms the official 2026 event dates and venue.
What the light-up changes for an evening visit
The main change is the addition of a scheduled night programme to a place usually associated with daylight walks. The wider route remains part of the public Arashiyama district, while the event includes a designated paid section in the bamboo grove. The public announcement does not describe the whole grove as closed during the event.
The date range also places the programme across October and the first days of November. That gives travellers in Kyoto a defined evening option at the bamboo path, rather than an undated seasonal illumination. The event is subject to weather-related changes, so the official listing remains the relevant reference before an evening visit.
Visiting Arashiyama Bamboo Grove: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Arashiyama Bamboo Light-up runs at the bamboo path from 30 September to 8 November 2026, with lighting scheduled daily from 6pm to 9pm.
- The event adds an illuminated paid zone within the grove, while the announcement also describes the surrounding bamboo route as part of the event setting.
- The grove is in Saga and Arashiyama in north-western Kyoto. Kyoto City lists access to the area through Kyoto Station, the subway and the Randen streetcar network.
- The site is a walking landscape with a narrow bamboo path and routes around temples, shops and the river district. Comfortable footwear is appropriate for an evening walk.
- The official language is Japanese and the national currency is the yen.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
Searching for Arashiyama Bamboo Grove on social platforms
These links open searches for Arashiyama Bamboo Grove on each platform.
Frequently asked questions about Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
When does Arashiyama Bamboo Light-up take place at Arashiyama Bamboo Grove?
It runs from 30 September to 8 November 2026, with lighting scheduled from 6pm to 9pm each day.
Where is Arashiyama Bamboo Grove and how do you get there?
It is in the Saga and Arashiyama district in north-western Kyoto. Kyoto City lists routes to the area from Kyoto Station using the subway and Randen streetcar network.
What is Arashiyama Bamboo Grove?
It is a bamboo forest and walking path in Kyoto's Saga and Arashiyama area, near the Togetsu-kyo Bridge and other cultural attractions.
