Tetsugaku no michi - best spot for cherry blossoms in Kyoto (Photo: Carmen del Campo)

(Writer: Alena Eckelmann)

Holidays are an ideal time for pondering life, and Kyoto’s Higashiyama District has the ideal setting in which to get lost in your thoughts or memories; a stone-covered path lined with cherry trees running alongside a little canal that winds its way through the quiet and green neighborhood - the Philosopher’s Path, arguably Kyoto’s most famous walk.

The trickling sound of water and the chirping of birds make for a tranquil atmosphere seldom seen in a big Japanese big city. Several stone bridges straddle the stream, flanked by willow trees whose branches bend so deep that they almost dip into the water. Colorful carp playfully circle around in the water in the warmer months, and are no doubt hoping for morsels to dropped in by the tourists taking their photos against the picturesque background.

“Tetsugaku-no-Michi”, as the path is called in Japanese, runs north to south along the foot of Kyoto’s Eastern mountains. Nestled in these hills are some temples and shrines with grounds and gardens often skipped by visitors on a tight schedule. Less crowded, and with Zen in the air, they invite you to linger and contemplate life, which of course is perfectly in line with the theme of the path: philosophy.