This post was written in 2006. Some information may be out of date.
Driving home on the expressway from Kanazawa, I ended up passing through Kyoto. I had a bit of time, so I decided to
wander around the city for a while. After circling downtown a few times, I stopped at a bookstore nearby and bought a Kyoto guidebook.
I flipped through it wondering where to go, and settled on the Ginkaku-ji – Philosopher’s Path route.
By the time I got there it was late and Ginkaku-ji had already closed. So I decided to look around the area instead, starting with the shrine right next door.
Climb those stairs up there and you reach a small shrine surrounded by forest. Maybe because hardly any light gets in and it’s filled with nothing but silence and the sound of cicadas, it really felt like I’d come to a sacred place for meeting the gods.
Here’s a photo of the Philosopher’s Path. It’s the path that runs all along beside Ginkaku-ji. It’s lined mostly with cherry trees, so coming here in spring must be amazing.
Then again, I’m not sure I could handle the crowds that come with it… The name Philosopher’s Path comes from the story that a famous Japanese philosopher always
used to walk this path.
A shrine I found while walking the Philosopher’s Path
An old building
A temple in Kyoto
Kyoto is a place full of history. Everywhere you go is a sightseeing spot… I wanted to take my time and see all of it, but I called it a day there
and headed home.