Kyoto 2024, Day 3

Day Three of our Kyoto holidays (15 November 2024) was all about heading out to Kameoka for the river cruise I’d been looking forward to. To get there, I’d already booked seats on the Sagano Scenic Railway — also known as the Sagano Romantic Train — which runs between Saga Torokko Station and Kameoka Torokko Station. It meant we first had to make our way to Torokko Arashiyama Station and then take a short walk to Saga Torokko Station to catch the train proper.

While this little journey is a draw for tourists, it is still not quite well known enough in my opinion. People go straight to Arashiyama but miss out on this attraction. The train chugs along at about 30 kilometres per hour, a leisurely ride that offers lovely views of the Hozugawa River and the mountains beyond. It’s not a long ride, maybe only about 25 minutes long, but it was very scenic. Moreover, the pace was just right for soaking it all in.

Once we alighted at Kameoka Torokko Station, there was the option to hop on a bus to the Hozugawa river jetty. But I thought it might be more enjoyable to walk through the town instead. The weather was pleasant and it gave us a chance to catch a glimpse of life in a quiet Japanese town. That said, the walk ended up taking longer than expected — mostly because we kept stopping to admire things along the way. And we started getting a bit peckish.

So, lunch became the new priority. We wandered about and eventually came upon Bistro Été, tucked away in a corner of Kameoka. A lovely find. The place, opened in 2009 by a local chef, served up a cosy fusion of French and Italian cooking, with fresh ingredients sourced from nearby farms. The setting felt almost like stepping into someone’s home: wooden floors, shoes off at the door and just 20 or so seats. Fortunately, we arrived just before it got busy and managed to settle in. The food was beautifully prepared, light but flavourful, and very comforting. 

Lunch over, we continued our walk, umbrellas out now as the rain had started to fall lightly and soon arrived at the boat terminal. Fortunately, it stopped soon after. Just before 2pm, we were ushered down to the boarding area for the start of our two-hour boat ride down the Hozugawa River.

To my mind, this wasn’t a typical cruise. It felt more like stepping into a storybook: nature, history and a dash of controlled adventure all rolled into one. The boat was long and flat-bottomed, open-air and made of wood, and steered by three boatmen using oars and long bamboo poles. We had an unbroken view of the riverbanks and forested cliffs around us. And with autumn in full swing, the scenery was spectacular — leaves turning shades of red and gold.

The boatmen, clearly experienced and full of good humour, kept up a cheerful commentary, mostly in Japanese with the odd word of English thrown in. One of them had a fondness for exclaiming “Happy New Year!” — he slipped it into just about every sentence. It was a delight.

The river itself wasn’t all calm and still. While it was entirely safe, even for children, there were a few shallow rapids and gentle drops that made the ride lively in parts, though never frightening. The rhythm of the journey alternated beautifully between quiet glides and those little bursts of splashing excitement.

By around 4pm, the river widened and signs of urban life returned. We drifted past parked cars, rickshaws, riverside paths and then unmistakably the busy outskirts of Arashiyama. Rather than heading straight for the railway station, we decided to dive into the famed bamboo grove instead, joining the crowds weaving through the towering stalks.

Despite the number of people, there was something otherworldly about stepping into the grove. The moment we entered, the atmosphere changed. The tall bamboo shoots rose up like green columns, filtering the light in a soft, shifting glow. As the autumn light dimmed, a hush seemed to settle in, broken only by the crunch of gravel underfoot and the occasional murmur of voices. Walking through the place was not just a visual experience. It was deeply atmospheric and spiritual. We strolled quietly along the winding paths, soaking everything in, reluctant to leave but already feeling the day’s exertions beginning to catch up with us.

Eventually, with darkness upon us, we made our way towards the train station, tired but content. It had been a full day — mountains, rivers, food and forests — all in one unforgettable experience.