👣THE PHILOSOPHER'S BLOSSOMS🌸
The Path of Philosophy runs between Nanzen-ji and Ginkaku-ji. It came to prominence after the philosophers and Kyōto University professors Nishida Kitarō (西田幾多郎 1870-1945) and Tanabe Hajime (田辺元 1885-1962) used the trail as an exercise route.
First opened in 1890 (lengthened in 1912), the irrigation channel that the Philosopher's Path (哲学の道) follows is fed by water from the Lake Biwa Canal. The 2km course (which takes about 30 minutes to walk) is lined with over 500 sakura trees.
Towards the middle of April parts of the canal beside the Philosopher's Path (哲学の道) become a river of petals.
The phrases 'hana-no-ukibashi' (花の浮橋 'floating bridge of flowers') and 'hanaikada' (花筏 'flower raft') both describe water thick with petals.
Nishida Kitarō's (西田幾多郎 1870-1945) famous poem is immortalized in stone on the path. It is an angry retort to blind nationalism.
people are people,
and I will be myself.
regardless,
the path I follow
I will follow on…
人は人吾はわれ也とにかくに吾行く道を吾は行くなり
Nao-san (and a number of cats) enjoyed an outdoor tea ceremony beside the blossom-festooned Philosopher's Path (哲学の道).
blown to the big river
floating away...
cherry blossoms
大川へ吹なぐられし桜哉
-Kobayashi Issa (小林一茶), 1804.
Trans. David Lanoue.
🙏THE MICE SHRINE🐁
Abandoning her tea and sweets to the god of wind, Nao-san took refuge at nearby Ōtoyo-jinja (大豊神社). Thanks to two cheerful rodent statues, the shrine is more familiarly known as 'Nezumi-no-sha' (鼠の社🐭⛩️🐭).
In 887 Emperor Uda (宇多天皇) fell deathly sick.
Not long after Fujiwara-no-Yoshiko (藤原淑子 838-906), Uda's foster mother, had a vision of the god Sukunahikona (少彦名神). He promised that if Tsubakigamine was worshiped then the emperor would speed to health.
Ōtoyo-jinja was hastily erected below Tsubakigamine, & sure enough Emperor Uda recovered.
At a later date Sugawara-no-Michizane & Emperor Ōjin were enshrined, creating a rather odd grouping of deities.
The left-hand mouse carries a drinking bowl (水の器), representing abundant harvests, protection from illness and success in conceiving.
The right-hand guardian carries a scroll (巻物) to symbolise academic achievement and knowledge.
Camellia Tea Ceremony