Tour Details
- Duration
- 3 hours
- Product Type
- Tour
- Venues
-
- Honen-in
- Eikan-do
- Philosopher's Path
- Silver Pavillion
Photos & Highlights
- Discover the importance of nature in Japanese culture as you uncover the principles of Pure Land Buddhism
- Led by a local historian
Select a date
Tour Description
The centrality of nature has long been part of Japanese culture. Japanese traditional customs and Buddhist aesthetics suggest that there is no fundamental difference between nature and humankind; in fact, nature is what represents the core background of human existence. During this three-hour tour, you will join a local historian for a nature-inspired stroll along Philosopher’s Path, following the course of the canal while visiting some of Kyoto’s most important temples and exploring the Japanese’ philosophical commitment to nature.
Philosopher’s Path Tour
Philosopher’s Path is a beautiful canal walkway located in northern Higashiyama. The path was named after Nishida Kitaro, a famous philosophy professor at Kyoto University who is said to have practiced meditation while walking this route on his daily commute. Thanks to the hundreds of cherry trees lining the canal, the Philosopher’s Path remains awash in color for much of the year, whether it’s spring's explosion of cherry blossom or fall's fiery red foliage. Your tour will take a scenic stroll through Philosopher’s Path and enjoy a quiet retreat surrounded by mountains and traditional houses away from the city.
Pure Land Buddhism and Nature
Your first stop will be the Silver Pavillion, where you'll learn about the temple's history as a center of culture in the fifteenth century. Along the Path, we will make a stop at Honen-in Temple and learn about the principles of Pure Land Buddhism (Jodo-shu), observing the harmony between nature and the temple buildings. We will discuss the temple’s Zenki-sui water spring, which represents the Japanese adoration of water as part of the aesthetic element. We will then continue our walk to Eikan-do, another Pure Land Buddhism temple built on a hillside. We'll take a deep dive into the historical background of the temple, admiring the unusual Amitabha Buddha, with its head turned leftwards, the serene Hojo Pond, and the view from the Tagoto Pagoda.
Take Aways
At the end of our time together, we will have set our mind at peace away from the city’s hustle and bustle and emerge with a better understanding of the concept of nature, as well as the ideological underpinnings of Buddhism and how they play a role in Japanese culture.
FAQ
Is it okay to tip my guide in Japan?
Yes. Context clients generally tip anywhere from 10-25% of the purchase price of a personal service such as this, depending on the quality of the experience and their tipping habits.
Where You'll Start
46 Reviews
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Reviews can only be left by Context customers after they have completed a tour. For more information about our reviews, please see our FAQ.
Our tour guide John was great - he was friendly and informative. He welcomed questions, and provided information throughout the tour. It was a great start to our time in Kyoto and provided us the needed context to appreciate the other temples we visited during our time.
Emily
Apr. 23, 2024
Karin was excellent. We learned so much on the tour. She checked for bathroom breaks or thirst. She made sure everything was amazing. Gave us great directions for after the tour.
Donna
Apr. 14, 2024
Our family of 4 --2 boys aged 14 and 12--went on our tour of the Philosophers Path in the pouring rain so were nervous it was going to be a disaster but it was actually great. The rain kept the crowds away and Preston, our guide, was wonderful. He knew of temples not usually open to the public and took us to them instead of sticking to the normal itinerary which we liked. We all finished the tour feeling like we had learned something and were grateful to have done it as visiting the temples without an expert with you makes it almost impossible to know what exactly it all means.
We loved Preston. First, as an American originally he spoke perfect English so we could understand him clearly. Second, he was very knowledgeable and passionate about the subject matter, which we could all sense and loved but he kept his explanations clear and reasonably short so was able to read his audience and understand to not go too deep into one subject. Third, since he had lived in Japan for many years and was married to Japanese woman he was able to articulate some of the cultural differences between the two countries/mindsights which we found fascinating and loved hearing about.
All of us were very happy to have been on the tour with him and enjoyed our time, despite the rain.
Elizabeth
Apr. 12, 2024
