Kyoto moves bamboo beyond visitors' reach after 350 stalks are vandalised

Kyoto’s famous Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is facing growing damage from tourists carving names and other writing into bamboo stalks. A city inspection found around 350 damaged plants since spring 2025. In response, Kyoto officials plan to cut about 30 sq m of bamboo as a special preservation measure and move the grove further away from the path to prevent visitors from reaching the stalks.