◇A Request to Tourists（Please don’t write graffiti on the bamboo!!）

• In recent years, vandalism involving graffiti on bamboo has increased and become a social problem.
• Once the surface of bamboo is damaged, it can never be restored to its original state.
• To preserve the landscape (and to prevent further vandalism), it is necessary to cut down the bamboo that has grown so well.
• Graffiti on bamboo is a crime. (This constitutes property damage and a violation of the public nuisance prevention ordinance.)
• Please cherish the memories of your visit to this place in your heart.

◇The Role of Bamboo Fences

• Contributes to landscape preservation.
• Contributes to maintaining security in bamboo groves (preventing and reducing illegal entry, littering, and theft).
• SDGs: As you know, bamboo fences are made from bamboo shoots. These shoots are made from small branches of bamboo that have grown in the bamboo grove (thinned bamboo) that have been dried. When repairing a bamboo fence, old shoots are pushed to the back, and new shoots are inserted in the front. Over several years, the old shoots, pushed to the back, return to the bamboo grove and decompose in the soil. This natural cycle is also environmentally friendly.

◇Kyoto Rakusai Rotary Club

　Ogurayama (Arashiyama) Landscape Preservation Area – Bamboo Fence Repair and Improvement Project

The Kyoto Rakusai Rotary Club annually carries out a project to repair and improve the bamboo fences in the Ogurayama Landscape Preservation Area of ​​Arashiyama.

Approximately 30 years ago, there were no bamboo fences in this area. There were various problems such as illegal entry into the bamboo grove, dumping of garbage, and theft of bamboo shoots. Our club considered what we could do as a social service project, working in cooperation with local residents, and proposed the installation of bamboo fences as a solution.

Since the installation of the bamboo fences, the security of the bamboo grove has improved, and this area, now known as the “Bamboo Path,” has become one of Japan’s leading tourist destinations, attracting many tourists from around the world.

Our club continues to assist with the repair and improvement of the bamboo fences little by little each year since their initial installation.

By maintaining and managing this landscape (bamboo fence), we not only protect the bamboo grove but also contribute to the tourism industry.