The two story wooden pavilion at Ginkaku-ji wears a coat of dark, weathered lacquer rather than the silver leaf its name promises. Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa ordered the construction in fourteen eighty-two, intending it as a private…
Philosophers Path Temple Walk
We'll wander down a peaceful canal-side stone path to visit some of Kyoto’s most historic and contemplative temples and shrines. This gentle route showcases stunning Zen gardens, hidden hillside sanctuaries, and rustic woodland gates perfect for quiet reflection.
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1. Ginkaku-ji
2. Hōnenin Temple
A moss-covered thatched gate marks the entrance to Honenin, a temple that sits quietly against the wooded slopes of the Higashiyama mountains. Unlike the crowded shrines nearby, this temple retains the atmosphere of a secluded mountain…
3. Ōtoyo Shrine
Two stone mice sit on pedestals at the entrance of Ōtoyo Shrine, clutching a scroll and a water jar. These figures represent Okuninushi, a deity of marriage and matchmaking who legend says was saved from a field fire by a mouse. The shrine…
4. Eikan-dō Temple
Eikan-do Temple sits against the hillside, marked by a pagoda that emerges from a dense canopy of maple trees. It began in the ninth century as a private villa before a monk named Eikan transformed it into a sanctuary for the poor and…
5. Nanzen-ji
The massive two-story wooden gate at Nanzen-ji stands tall enough that visitors can see the Kyoto skyline through its upper balcony. Originally a retirement villa for Emperor Kameyama in the late thirteenth century, the site became a Zen…
6. Waterway Pavilion
The Suirokaku Water Bridge is a brick aqueduct with wide, heavy arches that cuts directly through the grounds of Nanzenji Temple. It was finished in eighteen eighty-eight as part of the Lake Biwa Canal project, designed to carry water from…