Vulture Magazine The Michaelmas Issue 2013 | Page 10

The Philosopher’s Walk stretches along a 5km path through a
cherry-tree lined avenue in the
suburbs of Kyoto. It is so named
due to its use by noted 20th century philosopher Kitaro Nishida, who found the space useful
for introspection and meditation. The narrow width of the
path combined with its length
and beauty stirs up feelings of
solitude but also of constriction. On a rainy day this past
summer during which I did the
walk, my rain-drop spattered
umbrella seemed a perfect way to
explore the barriers we put between ourselves and the world,
and in turn how our feelings and
perceptions of reality and the
spaces we inhabit are shaped.

A Rainy Walk in Kyoto

Samuel Joyce