About this place

Kinkaku-ji, which translates to "Temple of the Golden Pavilion," is a Zen Buddhist temple located in the Kita ward of northern Kyoto, Japan. Its official name is Rokuon-ji, meaning "Deer Garden Temple." The temple is situated at the foot of Mount Kinugasa and is part of a larger complex that includes gardens and a pond. It is one of the most visited sites in Kyoto and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site as part of the "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto."

Historical Background

The site's history began in 1397 when the land was purchased by the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. He constructed a retirement villa there, which he named Kitayama-den. The Golden Pavilion was built as a Shariden, a hall for housing relics of the Buddha, within this villa complex. According to Yoshimitsu's will, after his death in 1408, the villa was converted into a Zen temple of the Rinzai sect, which was then named Rokuon-ji.

The pavilion stood for over 550 years as an original Muromachi period structure. However, in 1950, it was completely destroyed by arson, an act committed by a young novice monk. The incident and its psychological motivations were fictionalized in Yukio Mishima's 1956 novel, "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion." The current structure is a faithful reconstruction completed in 1955. The gold leaf covering, which had largely worn away on the original building, was restored during this reconstruction and was most recently renewed in 1987.

Architectural Features

Kinkaku-ji is a three-story building set beside Kyōko-chi (Mirror Pond), which reflects the structure. Each of the three floors is designed in a different architectural style, creating a unique and eclectic composition.

The first floor, named Hō-sui-in (Chamber of Dharma Waters), is built in the Shinden-zukuri style, reminiscent of the residential palaces of the 11th-century Heian aristocracy. It features natural wood pillars and white plaster walls, creating a more open and simple design.

The second floor, called Chō-on-dō (Tower of Sounding Waves), is built in the Buke-zukuri style, which was favored by the samurai warrior class. This floor houses a statue of the Bodhisattva Kannon. The exterior walls of this level are completely covered in gold leaf.

The third and uppermost floor, named Kukkyō-chō (Firmament Top), is designed in the style of a traditional Chinese Chan (Zen) hall. It is gilded both inside and out and is topped with a bronze phoenix ornament. The use of gold leaf on the upper two stories was intended to purify the structure from any negative associations with death and to create a visually striking impression that reflected the immense wealth and power of the shogun.