Walking from Ginkaku-ji Temple to Nanzen-ji Temple along the Philosopher's Path

This walking course starts at Ginkaku-ji Temple, stops by Honen-in Temple, heads south along the Philosopher's Path following the Lake Biwa Canal, and visits Eikando Zenrin-ji Temple and Nanzen-ji Temple. You will tour temples at the foot of Higashiyama while heading from north to south. From Ginkaku-ji Temple to Nanzen-ji Temple, it is approximately 1.8 kilometers south in a straight line.

History and Regional Charm

Ginkaku-ji Temple, at the northern end of the course, was originally the Higashiyama-dono mountain villa of Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the eighth shogun of the Muromachi shogunate, which was converted into a Zen temple; it sits at the foot of Mount Daimonji in Higashiyama. Heading south, you will find Honen-in Temple, which originates from a thatched hermitage in Shishigatani where Honen practiced Nenbutsu recitations with his disciples in the early Kamakura period. Further ahead is Eikando Zenrin-ji Temple, where Honen was recommended as the 11th head priest during the early Kamakura period. At the southern end, Nanzen-ji Temple was established by converting the retired Emperor Kameyama's detached palace into a Zen temple, and during the Muromachi period, it was placed above the Five Mountains of Kyoto and Kamakura.

Connecting these temples is the Philosopher's Path, which runs alongside a branch line of the Lake Biwa Canal. It is a walking path of about 2 kilometers running from near Ginkaku-ji Temple toward Nanzen-ji Temple, named after Kyoto University philosopher Nishida Kitaro and others who were immersed in thought while walking here. Water in the canal flows from Keage across the top of the Suirokaku Aqueduct at Nanzen-ji Temple to the Jodoji Bridge in the north. By walking from north to south, you will encounter the red-brick Suirokaku Aqueduct carrying that water at the end of the walk at Nanzen-ji Temple.

Key Highlights

• ​Ginkaku-ji Temple​​: Officially named Higashiyama Jisho-ji Temple. The National Treasure Kannonden Hall (Ginkaku) has a first floor built in a shoin style and a second floor built in a Buddhist hall style featuring katomado (bell-shaped windows). You can also see Togu-do Hall, which contains the Dojinsai room regarded as the prototype of a four-and-a-half-mat tea room, the Ginshadan mound of white sand formed into stepped ridges, and the Kogetsudai truncated cone of sand.
• ​Honen-in Temple​​: Beyond the approach dense with maples, a thatched mountain gate imparts the ambiance of a secluded mountain temple. Upon entering the gate, there are mounds of white sand called byakusadan on both sides; walking between them signifies purifying one's mind and body before entering sacred ground. In the cemetery are the graves of scholars and artists such as Tanizaki Jun'ichiro.
• ​Philosopher's Path​​: Originating with the "Kansetsu-zakura" cherry trees donated in 1922 by the Japanese painter Hashimoto Kansetsu and his wife Yone, approximately 400 cherry trees are planted along the path, bustling with many visitors in spring and during the autumn foliage. Near the Senshin-kyo Bridge leading to Honen-in Temple stands a stone monument engraved with a poem by Nishida Kitaro.
• ​Eikando Zenrin-ji Temple​​: The principal image is "Mikaeri Amida," depicted glancing back over his left shoulder, designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Other highlights include the Garyoro corridor leading up to the Kaisan-do Hall and the view from the Tahoto pagoda reached by climbing 140 steps. It is said that there are about 3,000 maple trees within the precincts and its surroundings, earning it renown as "Eikando of the Maples."
• ​Nanzen-ji Temple​​: The head temple of the Nanzen-ji branch of the Rinzai Zen sect. Features include the Sanmon gate, counted as one of Japan's three great gates; the National Treasure Hojo (abbot's quarters) with its "Toranoko-watashi Garden"; and the red-brick Suirokaku Aqueduct of the Lake Biwa Canal, which in 2025 became the first modern civil engineering structure designated a National Treasure.

Recommended Route and Duration

The estimated time required is around 5 hours. To reach Ginkaku-ji Temple, get off at the "Ginkakuji-michi" or "Ginkakuji-mae" city bus stop. Honen-in Temple is about 370 meters south of Ginkaku-ji Temple. The precincts of Honen-in Temple are open for worship freely, and the interior of the temple buildings is opened to the public twice a year: April 1 to 7 and November 1 to 7. From Honen-in Temple, walk about 250 meters southwest to reach the Philosopher's Path, then proceed south along the canal. It is about 950 meters south from where you enter the Philosopher's Path to Eikando Zenrin-ji Temple, and about 340 meters southwest from Eikando Temple to Nanzen-ji Temple. For the return trip, it is about a 10-minute walk from Nanzen-ji Temple to Keage Station on the Subway Tozai Line; passing through the Nejiri-manpo Tunnel serves as a shortcut to the grounds. The best seasons are spring for the cherry blossoms along the Philosopher's Path and autumn for the foliage at Eikando Temple. At Eikando Temple, a special exhibition of temple treasures and evening illuminations are held from early November to early December, drawing exceptionally large crowds particularly in late November.

Summary of the Experience

Ginkaku preserving traces of Yoshimasa's mountain villa, the quiet Honen-in Temple with its thatched gate, the canal-side path decorated with cherry blossoms and maples, the looking-back Amida of Eikando Temple, and the red-brick arches of the Suirokaku Aqueduct. Walk along the foot of Higashiyama from north to south alongside the canal and enjoy a day on this contemplative path.