Finally the last day of my short trip to Kyoto. Day 3 was not as busy as the first two, spending it mostly around Tetsugaku no Michi (Philosopher’s Path). The route was:
Day 3-Ginkakuji-Testugaku no Michi-Nanzenji-Ninja Restaurant
Ginkakuji (The Silver Pavilion) is often mentioned in travel books along with Kinkakuji (The Golden Pavilion). It was named like this because its initial construction plan included the intention to cover the structure with a silver-foil overlay, but it seems this didn’t happen anymore. The Zen temple’s wonderful garden is what stands out, being one of the finest gardens in Kyoto. In autumn, it gets even more beautiful, painted in various shades of red, yellow, brown. It is a place where you can truly relax.
Close to the temple, there is an interesting restaurant that serves green tea soba (buckwheat noodles). Recently, not only Japanese sweets are green tea flavored, but also a wide variety of dishes such as curry and noodles, and where to better enjoy them if not in the traditional Kyoto.
Tetsugaku no Michi or The Philosopher’s path is a stone path, 2 kilometers long, starting from Ginkakuji temple and leading to the neighborhood of Nanzenji temple. A whole day can be spent wandering the spacious Nanzenji Temple. Be it a crowded day, you can wander at peace along the hundreds of years old buildings.
We ended the day and also the Kyoto trip with a dinner at a Ninja Restaurant. The Ninja Restaurant concept is a perfect combination of traditional and modern culture and a great experience in itself. This kind of restaurants can be found in many cities around Japan, and through their unique design, ninja waiters and special food, they attract a lot of tourists who are seeking that ninja experience often seen in movies. Here the waiters entertain their customers with various tricks. For me, it was a great experience, more like seeing a live show than simply having dinner.
I fell in love with Kyoto and beautiful autumn in Kyoto. I would like to come back as soon as possible and visit all the other places I haven’t had time to see this time. As I’ve said before, Kyoto is wonderful in any season, so if you are coming to Japan, you shouldn’t miss it!
