KYOTO, Oct 20 (News On Japan) –
Kyoto’s world-famous Arashiyama district, a well-liked vacation spot for each home and worldwide vacationers, is dealing with a rising drawback of graffiti etched into the bamboo alongside its iconic “Bamboo Grove Path,” with greater than 350 stalks now broken — a apply that consultants warn may finally trigger bamboo to weaken, fall, and even injure guests.
A latest investigation by the news program “News Runner” discovered that carvings in English, Korean, katakana, and even heart-shaped inscriptions at the moment are widespread throughout the grove, lots of them apparently left by {couples} or vacationers searching for to mark their go to. Words like “Revengers” and dates similar to “June 2025” have been carved into the bamboo, whereas others bear initials or messages like “We’ll be back” in Korean. Despite outstanding indicators urging guests to not deface the bamboo, the issue reveals no signal of abating.
The phenomenon isn’t new. Graffiti started showing in earnest round 2018, when roughly 100 stalks have been defaced. Although the scenario briefly improved, circumstances have surged once more over the previous one to 2 years. The newest metropolis survey carried out this month confirmed that at the least 350 stalks at the moment are marked, a few of them so closely carved that workers from Ebisu, a neighborhood rickshaw firm serving to handle the grove, have resorted to protecting the markings with tape — although even that has confirmed to be solely a short lived answer.
“Once a bamboo stalk is carved, the damaged cells cannot regenerate,” defined Masashi Nakai, a tree specialist on the Kyoto Botanical Gardens. “The original color never returns, and the plant’s photosynthesis can be impaired. In severe cases, the bamboo can wither and eventually collapse.” Experts warning that such injury may pose security dangers to vacationers if weakened bamboo have been to fall.
In response, Kyoto City is now contemplating chopping down vandalized stalks as a safety measure. Calls are additionally rising for stricter enforcement and harsher penalties, together with fines of fifty,000 to 100,000 yen and common patrols to discourage would-be offenders.
Many guests expressed disappointment and frustration over the injury. “This is a cultural treasure, and I think defacing it is deeply disrespectful,” mentioned one vacationer. Others voiced confusion over why anybody would select to hurt the bamboo.
The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove stays certainly one of Kyoto’s most beloved sights, recognized for its serene environment and tunnel-like paths lined with towering inexperienced stalks. But with the rising risk of graffiti-induced decay, town’s officers warn that preserving this iconic panorama would require stronger motion — and a renewed dedication to accountable tourism from each customer.