Nanzen-ji, Kyoto. Located in an expansive lush forested hillside area in northeastern Kyoto, Nanzen-Ji is one of the most well known Zen temples in Japan. Emperor Kameyama loved this beautiful place so much that in 1264 he built his detached palace here. Later he became a student of Zen and he dedicated the palace as a Zen temple in 1291.]]> Where is the birdie, Niles? > It's up there, Mommy. Bsides the main Nanze-ji temple, there are several less famous smaller temples nearby in this pine-tree-covered area. ]]> Cherry trees line this walkway along the canal. The cherry blossoms must be spectacular in spring time. The path has traditionally been a place for contemplative strolls for scholars. It goes from the Nanzen-ji Temple all the way to Ginkaku-ji Temple.

Our original plan was to follow the path after visiting Nanzen-ji in order to reach Ginkaku-ji. Unfortunately, after about half an hour or so the gravel path became too unfriendly to the stroller, and so we had to detour. We decided to get back to the main street, and will come back to Ginkaku-ji by bus at a later time.

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