Day 6: Kyoto – The Philosopher’s Walk

We had a brief spot of time between lunch and our visit to Shugakuin Imperial Villa, and since it was also along the way, we stopped by briefly near Shishigatani Street to explore The Philosopher’s Walk for a bit. This 1.5 kilometre stretch is one of Kyoto’s most well-known spots, and in the right season, is stunning with its cherry trees lining the canal in which the path follows. The route is so-named in view of a Kyoto University philosophy professor, a Nishida Kitaro, who walked this stretch every day 70 years ago.

The trees along the walk were mostly barren at this point of the month, with a couple of stretches closed to public too to help the cherry trees cultivate without human intervention. Still, there were several local and foreign visitors walking the stretch.

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The start of the walk.
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Just imagine the cherry trees during blossom season!
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Several temples and shrines lie along the walk, so several of the usual tourist amenities could be found - including rickshaw rides.
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The path follows the canal.
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A sign explaining the walk.
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The water in the canal was marvelously clear.