Green tour Kyoto | travel information in JAPAN » Blog Archive » Early spring hiking

Japanese idiom of March, “Sankan-shion” -four warm days after three cold days in a week, is continuing this month.
It was terribly cold and snow yesterday, but the weather forecast says tomorrow will be a warm day like in the end of April.

In such a weather, I enjoyed an early spring hiking last weekend. I chose a west part of Kyoto this time.
Here is a map of the route.

I met my friend at Matsuo Station on Hankyu line where is famous for Matsuo Shrine, enshrines the God of sake.
Before going up on mountain, we stopped by Kegon-ji Temple known as Suzumushi-dera (cricket temple). The countless crickets have been brought up here so the visitors can enjoy beautiful singing by them all year.

The river on the photo above is The Katsura River, which was seriously damaged by big typhoon last autumn. It’s been recovered by local people and NPO and now clean.
This route was maintained well so easy to walk and wooden benches are ready for bento lunch around. It would be suited for hiking beginners too.

It took about 3 hours from Matsuo to Arashiyama.
After getting down the downtown Arashiyama, we went to Shigure-den, Ogura-Hyakunin-isshu Center (100 poem by 100 poets in the Heian ~ Kamakura era.)

What a cool modern noble boy!
This is one of the free activities in the center. Adults also can transform into a princess or prince of the olden days. That’s fun!!

http://www.shigureden.or.jp/multilingual/en.html

I saw some plum flower was in bloom on the mountain.
Spring is definitely close to us. Nice!!