KYOTO, Japan — Most of the events for the Summer Olympics are being held in Tokyo, but south of the busy city near historic Kyoto is another spot that tourists like Chantal Marauta had to see.
“It is as beautiful and iconic as expected,” Marauta said.
She's talking about the 4,000 acre Sagano Bamboo Forest. It's one of the top tourist attractions in Japan, and there's a reason why.
There is one main path through the center of the forest, where tourists walk under soaring stalks of bamboo stretching to the sky.
See what it looks like below:
Mixed into the forest are hundreds of types of bamboo that grow in Japan, with around 600 different varieties.
Some are small and some are tall and can grow several feet in a day. In a month, some bamboo can reach more than 60 feet in height.
It’s a world unlike any other and it creates a magical place Marauta said is one of the most beautiful on earth.
“It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen before," she said.
And it's certainly unlike any other forest in Colorado.
> This story is part of "Journey to Tokyo," a series of pieces previewing the Tokyo Olympics.
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