The most famous Japanese folk tale is Taketori-monogatari known as “The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter”. The story about Princess Kaguya, who was born from a bamboo stalk, takes place somewhere in ancient Kyoto once upon a time. A bamboo craftsman, who lived in Kyoto, built a private palace, which was made from bamboo. He was Mr. Kiyosuke Nagano and he spent about 27 years building this Kinkaku Temple-like bamboo palace by himself. It still exists in the Arashiyama area even after the builder of the palace is gone. There are so many tourists around there because this area has several famous temples like Suzumushi Temple. However, this palace isn’t well known, so few people pass through the entrance gate. I went into the folk tale field with the entrance fee, which was 300 yen.
The palace was surrounded by bamboo groves and the inside of the palace was also made from bamboo. In the center of the main room, a doll of Princess Kaguya was enshrined with many devotional offerings. Of course, the roof, desk, and windows were all made of bamboo. However, I couldn’t find any items from the folk tale except the doll. Since then, the relatives of the founder have been carrying on a fortune-telling business in the palace! Anyway, I recommend that you enjoy this palace when you go to the Arashiyama area because the interior and exterior of the palace are still original.
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