Arashiyama (嵐山) on the outskirts of Kyoto is normally packed with tourists. But with Japan still closed to foreign tourist and under an emergency declaration due to rising Covid cases, Arashiyama was transformed into a very quiet and relaxing place. Fully vaccinated, completing our 2 week self-quarantine, and taking care of familial matters, we decided to visit Kyoto for a few days. We spend the first night in Arashiyama and the rest in central Kyoto. At Arashiyama our room was upgraded to a very nice suite with a view of the river and mountains with an outdoor onsen bath. We spent our time walking the empty bamboo forest where we spotted a fox and sat on engawa of Tenryu-ji (天龍寺) zen temple admiring the gardens and achieving peacefulness without the hordes of loud tourist with their selfie sticks.