Walk on the path of philosophy in Kyoto

There is the famous pedestrian path in Kyoto called "Tetsugaku-no-michi" which means the path of phylosophy in English. The path streaches along a canal, and the path that Nishida Kitaro who was professor of philosophy at Kyoto University and other philosophers of the time, liked to walk on the path everyday for meditation.

It was in the late 19th century that Nishida Kitaro lived and spent the most of his time at Kyoto University. At the time when Japan began to open up to the West gradually, Kitaro's philosophy mingled rationalism and Buddhist together due to a reflection on the nature and existence of human. He inspired many authors around the world. Taking the path of philosophy is a perfect step to discover one of the most beautiful parts of the traditional Kyoto city. It is a walk of about thirty minutes but full of surprises and things to discover. As the seasons go by, the scenery of the path changes completely. As sakura (cherry blossoms) blooms in spring and autumn trees become red, orange, and yellow in autumn, what the Japanese call Koyo. Sometimes, winter comes to cover this path with a white veil. The path is located in the heart of Higashiyama, the best preserved traditional district of Kyoto, close to many temples surrounded by forests and rivers. It is likely that our dear philosophers used to start this walk from the north, because Kyoto University being in this direction. Here are some temples to enjoy on the way:

Not far from the entrance to the path, there is the world-famous Ginkaku-ji Temple, whose official name is Jisho-ji, the silver pavilion. It is often associated with the Kinkaku-ji (Rokuon-ji) temple, the golden pavilion, covered with gold leaves. But unlike the Kinkaku-ji, the Ginkaku-ji is not covered with silver leaves. Instead, the building is influenced by the Japanese aesthetic conception Wabi-Sabi, a refined beauty connected with the nature, elegant and modest. The purpose of the building was formerly the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa's villa, compete with the golden pavilion. Later, the shogun ordered to build the temple right after the Ounin war, broke out in 1467, ends.

As we keep on walking along the path, the Honen-in Temple appears from the forest. After crossing the door, you go through two mounds of sand that according to the beliefs purify the spirit. The enclosure of this sanctuary is magical, the temple seems lost in the middle of a secret garden. Its Hojo (the guest room) is open for April to enjoy Sakura (cherry blossoms) and Autunm to enjoy Koyo (coloured leaves) on the ground of the temple. The temple is absolutely the one to admire.

We keep on walking along the path, a Torii made by stone (an entrance gate) to the Otoyo-jinja shrine appears at a residential district. As we walk through the torii, the path to the shrine becomes narrower. The guardians of the shrine are neither the fox nor the raven, but mice! Mice guardians are made in 1960s based on "Kojiki (The records of ancient matters in Japan)", it says that a mouse saved the life of the deity Okuninushi when he trapped in a room on fire. This shrine is today synonymous with longevity and good health, and would date from the 9th century.