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Kyoto Otokuni Cycling Route: Cycling in the Western Kyoto Otokuni Bamboo Grove Area

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TRAVEL GUIDE KYOTO ~Discover your own Kyoto~

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Mt. Tennozan: A Historic Hike on the Edge of Kyoto

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Suburban Hospitality: Immersive homestyle stays in Kyoto

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Beautiful blossoms: Kyoto’s most stunning seasonal flowers and where to admire them

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Educational Travel Guide

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Temples, shrines and abundant natural beauty: Six of the most photogenic spots in Otokuni

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Welcome back to Kyoto

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Myokian Temple

Myokian, located in the Otokuni Bamboo Grove area of Kyoto Prefecture, is the branch temple of the Tofukuji school of Rinsai Buddhism which was built between 1492 and 1501 during the Muromachi period.
The temple is famous for its tea room called “Taian” which is the only existing tea room that is said to have been made by Sen no Rikyu, the founder of Japanese tea ceremony, and is designated as a national treasure. In 1582, there was a battle between Hideyoshi Hashiba (Toyotomi) and Mitsuhide Akechi. After his victory, Hideyoshi built a castle on the summit of Mt. Tenno and it is said that he lived for a while and invited Sen no Rikyu to build several tea rooms in the area.
The building is gabled and has a thatched roof. The room is only 2 tatami mats (approx. 3m2), which is different from standard of 4 and a half tatami mats at that time. It was also the first tea room with a small entrance and exit for customers, or “Nijiriguchi”, and was the origin of one of the Japanese architectural styles called "Sukiya-zukuri," thus influencing many later tea rooms.

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Unir – The Japanese Barista Champion

Unir is a specialty coffee roaster and cafe run by Tomoko Yamamoto and her husband. Tomoko represented Japan in the "World Barista Championship 2019", which decides the best barista in the world. In the store, you can purchase Unir's carefully selected specialty coffee while watching the roasting machine at work. You can also enjoy lunch made by a professional chef, sweets made by a pastry chef, and of course Unir coffee brewed by one of the best baristas in Japan.

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Mt Tenno Hatatatematsu Observatory and Yamazaki Castle Ruins

Hatatatematsu Observatory and Yamazaki Castle Ruins are located on Mt Tenno in Oyamazaki City in "Kyoto Otokuni Bamboo Grove" area of Kyoto Prefecture. The mountain has well maintained trails that even the elderly and children can enjoy and the area has been named as one of the “200 Best Nature Spots in Kyoto.” In 1582, Mitsuhide Akechi and Hideyoshi Toyotomi fought a battle for control of Mt. Tenno at the battle of Yamazaki. During the battle, it is said that Hideyoshi raised his flag from the top of an old pine tree; raising the morale of his army and turned the tide of the battle. At the 8th station along the Tennozan hiking course, a pine tree stands in this location along with an observatory that allows you to look out over valley where three rivers; the Katsura, the Uji, and the Kizu merge.

After winning the battle, Hideyaoshi build Yamazaki Castle at the top of Mt. Tenno which allowed him to cement his control over the region and eventually helped him unify Japan. It is said that Hideyoshi held a tea ceremony with Sen no Rikyu who is considered the founder of Japanese tea ceremony as we know it today. The castle site still contains many parts of the castle such as; the castle tower, earthworks, moat, well, and stone walls.

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Bamboo Museum (Kyoto City Rakusai Chikurin (Bamboo Forest) Park)

The Bamboo Museum in Rakusai Chikurin (Bamboo Forest) Park is located in south west Kyoto city. The museum is a traditional Japanese building and includes an exhibition room, a tea room named “Chikufuken” (available for various uses for a fee), and a terrace from which to view the 5,000m2 bamboo garden. The garden has over 110 living kinds of bamboo from across Japan and is a great place to see the ecology of bamboo and bamboo groves at work. Furthermore, the garden has 350 stone Buddhas that were once used by Nobunaga Oda to build the stone walls of the old Nijo Castle; offering a unique look into Kyoto’s history.

In the exhibition room, you can learn all there is to know about bamboo with displays and even rare Japanese paintings depicting the spread and growth of bamboo shoots in the ground. There are also exhibits about the use of bamboo in products including; Tea ceremony tools, Kendo swords, musical instruments, and even a restored model of a light bulb made by Edison using Madake Bamboo as a filament from 1882. You can also purchase many bamboo products at the museum.