Philosopher's Path

Two kilometres of stone path along a canal in eastern Kyoto, from Ginkaku-ji in the north to the neighbourhood of Nanzen-ji in the south. It takes about thirty minutes to walk without stopping, and stopping is the entire idea.

The name is not decorative. Nishida Kitaro, the philosopher who founded the Kyoto School, walked this route daily on his way to the university and used it for thinking. Others followed, the habit was noticed, and the path was formally named after them in 1972.

The canal is not natural either. It is part of the Lake Biwa Canal, an engineering project completed in 1890 that carried water over the mountains from Lake Biwa to supply Kyoto with drinking water, boat transport and, eventually, Japan's first hydroelectric power for the city's tram system. The Keage incline at the southern end is another piece of the same scheme.

Roughly 400 cherry trees line the water, planted from saplings donated in 1922 by the wife of the painter Hashimoto Kansetsu, who lived nearby. In early April they close over the canal completely and the path becomes a slow-moving crowd. The rest of the year it is quiet, and in winter it is often empty.

Cafes, craft shops and a well-known population of cats occupy the middle section. Just off the path are two temples worth the detour: Honen-in, whose mossy thatched gate is free to walk through and almost always deserted, and Anraku-ji, which opens only on selected days.

Start at Ginkaku-ji and walk south, which puts the temples at the end and the light behind you.