In the western part of Kyoto City, Arashiyama offers tourist spots where you can enjoy breathtaking natural landscapes. Across Arashiyama, you can find parks offering views of the Katsura River flowing through the area.
“Kameyama Park North of the Katsura River”
To the north of the Katsura River, you’ll find the spacious Kameyama Park. This park is well-connected to the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove and Torokko Arashiyama Station.
The park grounds are quite expansive, resembling the typical parks commonly seen in South Korea. As I walked through the park, it reminded me of family parks commonly found in Yongsan, Seoul.
“Observatory with a View of the Hozugawa Gorge”
Kameyama Park is situated at a relatively high elevation, allowing for the presence of an observatory. From this vantage point, you can enjoy views of the Hozugawa Gorge. If you’re lucky, you might spot boats descending along the gorge or catch a glimpse of the Torokko Train running along the gorge.
However, despite waiting intentionally to see the boats and Torokko Train, I was unfortunate not to witness either. Next to the observatory, there was a sign mentioning the view of the passing trains, and there was a train schedule. Although I could hear the sound of the train passing, I couldn’t actually see it. Perhaps the lush growth of trees obscured the view, but it was disappointing not to see the train despite waiting.
“Kameyama Park & Observatory in Kyoto, Arashiyama”
- Address: 6 Sagakamenoocho, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto-fu 616-8386, Japan
- Operating Hours: 24 hours