I went on an adventure through Arashiyama (嵐山) the other day. Arashiyama is one of those places that you can spend hours in and still not even know everything about it. In fact, the first time I went, I ended up in touristy Arashiyama, and I wondered, "Why would anyone care for this place? It's a tourist trap." But then I began to explore more, and what I've found has actually peaked my interest.
Western Arashiyama is certainly full of tourists. There are people pulling the carts, and you can buy gifts for your friends and family that are seemingly "classical" Kyoto: Fans, sweets, etc. But if you know where to go, you can find more than that. Arashiyama has some of the best umeshu (梅酒), or plum wine in Kyoto. It also has numerous onsen, or hot springs, spread throughout the mountain. In the past, Arashiyama was a natural retreat for the esteemed and wealthy. There are old temples and shrines designated as World Heritage Sites hidden among its bamboo forests and old red-bark trees.
Eastern Arashiyama is virtually empty. Although it is still filled with the old temples and shrines, it is primarily a farming area now. The rice paddies are a verdant green, and it's not unusual to see herons and hawks diving into the lake around to catch fish. Perhaps most interesting is when you pass these farms, and hike up into the mountain that is rather aptly named Storm Mountain. When we started our hike, we were at ground level, but as we progressed, we rapidly entered a mist just below the clouds. I separated from my friends for some pure hiking and went into the bamboo forest around us.
As time passed, I realized that I had turned onto a trail that was more for wild boar, or other game than was really meant for people. It was literally so narrow that I could barely stretch my arms out, and there were numerous instances of bamboo and such torn up. Although it was of course fun to travel down it, I was alone, and didn't feel like meeting any snakes, pigs, or bears, so I turned back in order not to worry my friends too much. We continued our hike up the mountain and eventually came out onto a clearing with to large ponds and a hinamatsuri (ひな祭り). It's far past hinamatsuri, it was in March, and to still have it set up was to say the least, a bit strange. We looked at it for a minute, and then walked past the koi ponds and further up the mountain.
There had been a small family feeding the koi, but now we were alone. Just as Mathilde had suggested before, we were standing in front of the imperial tomb of Emperor Go-Uda (後宇多天皇陵). From what I was able to gather about his history just from searching online (I haven't found anyone who knows of him yet), he was the second emperor by the name of Uda, and he was the 91st emperor of Japan. He succeeded Emperor Kameyama and preceded Emperor Fushimi. He ruled over three eras, the Bunei (文永), the Kenji (健治), and the Kouan (公安) during the 1200s. His tomb's official name is Rengebuji no misasagi (蓮華峯寺陵), meaning approximately the Lotus Flower Ridge Imperial Tomb.
It was surprising. Only here where you have such a blend of ancient and modern culture do you run into imperial tombs which are nestled among the forest. Completely quiet, you wouldn't even know it was here unless like us, you were just exploring. Even then, it'd be somewhat of a miracle to find it. And so with that, it was another treasure to add to the memories that I've made here in Kyoto.
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