Do you know how to “ move “ in Japan ? #1–2 Kyoto by train, Arashiyama
Kyoto, being the former capital of the country, apart from being a world popular tourist destination, is a compact city with an interlinked transportation network, public transport of which is highly reliable.
This time, I would like to show the Railways that help make the lives of commuters — both locals and tourists alike, a comfortable experience. If you want to go Arashiyama…
The origins of Arashiyama could be said to be mentioned in legends as a place comprising of a beautiful mountain along the the Katsuragawa river. Arashiyama has some historical temples and shrines from the 8th century and is quite popular with a lot of travelers for its picturesque scenery, especially in autumn when the trees showcase a bright golden red color. Before the Meiji era (~1868), many aristocracies had their villas in Arashiyama where they often reveled and enjoyed appreciating the works of arts and literature. As a result, today one can observe a lot of places of historical importance that delve into the country’s cultural heritage.
You can take three trains to there; JR, Randen(Keihuku), and Hankyu.
JR-Sagano line runs from Kyoto station to northern area of Kyoto prefecture. It takes about 15minutes from Kyoto station to Saga-Arashiyama station. It is the nearest station to Arashiyama.
⇩JR-West Information, includes JR-Sagano line, ⇩
Randen(Keihuku) runs northwestern Kyoto city(KitanoTenmangu-shrine, Kinkakuji-temple,ete…) to Arashiyama. We can also go Uzumasa, famous for Toei-Uzumasa movie village, by this.
Two major stations, Shijyo-Omiya and Kitano-Hakbai-cho, locate in different places. The former is near Shijyo-Kawaramachi, and Shijyo-Nishinotouin, in which many cheap hotels- someone calls Minpaku- is. The latter is near KitanoTenmangu-shrine and Kinkakuji-temple. It takes about 20 minutes from whichever two stations.
⇩Randen Information⇩
Hankyu runs half oh Kinki-area( Kyoto, Osaka, and Hyogo prefecture) and beloved by people. Especially, Hankyu-Arashiyama line is shorter distance of its rail lines. We have to change trains at Katsura-station to Arashiyama. For example, it takes 30 minutes when you take Hankyu from Kawaramachi-station via Katsura-station.
⇩Hankyu Arashiyama Information⇩