KYOTO – Parts of a famous bamboo grove on the outskirts of Kyoto were cut down on Wednesday in a joint effort between the municipal government and a local organization to end a recent spate of graffiti carving.
About 20 bamboo plants on both sides of the path in the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove were cut down, creating enough space to prevent further graffiti. In October, some 350 bamboo plants were damaged by graffiti, according to a survey conducted by the city of Kyoto.
Four of the bamboo plants felled along a 30-meter section of the path in the city-owned land had been defaced. The municipal government said it will consider additional plant removals after reviewing the impact on the scenery.
The graffiti has negatively impacted the health of the bamboo and been a blight on the famous tourist site, according to the city.
A local environmental nonprofit was tasked with felling the bamboo, based on the municipal government’s plan.
Any change to the area, preserved as a historical site, requires approval from the city.
Local residents have been making efforts to stop visitors from carving the plants by covering graffiti with tape and posting flyers in four languages, including Japanese, warning people against defacing the bamboo.
AloJapan.com