The old aqueduct on the grounds of Nanzenji Temple is a must-see for
anyone taking the Philosopher’s Walk in Kyoto. It is an impressive sight
and a lovely path that can be taken at a leisurely pace.
There is a famous walking
path in Kyoto that philosophy professor Kitaro Nishida used to frequent.
It is in eastern Kyoto and is now known as the Philosopher’s Path, or Tetsugaku no Michi.
Kitaro Nishida was the founder of the
Kyoto School of philosophy, at a time when the Meiji Restoration was
creating a stark clash between those who wished to retain Japan’s
“eastern” philosophy. while Prof. Nishida sought out the balance between
both disciplines. His most famous theory is that of “basho,” a theory
which sought to show a non-dualistic logic, by a person using two
extremes of positive and negative to find the neutral.
Prof. Nishida would often walk a trail
starting around Ginkaku-ji (the Silver Pavilion), heading southward
until the Nannenji area. He meditated during these strolls, on a walk
that takes roughly forty minutes to complete, if one doesn’t visit any
temples. If you want to see the temples on this path (which I highly
recommend), then start early. It can easily become a two and a half hour
walk, and you want to leave lots of time at the end to enjoy the
grounds of Nannenji.
A map, courtesy Wikipedia, can be found below:
