Kinkaku-ji began in 1397 as a villa that the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu took over from the Saionji family. The name given after Yoshimitsu’s death, Rokuon-ji, is still the temple’s official name. (Kita-ku, Kyoto)
The pavilion has three floors, each built in a different style:
- First floor: Hosui-in (shinden style of aristocratic residences)
- Second floor: Choon-do (samurai residence style)
- Third floor: Kukyocho (Zen Buddhist hall style)
The second and third floors are entirely covered in pure gold leaf and shine brilliantly.
In 1994 it was registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site as part of the “Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto”.
The garden and buildings on the grounds are said to express the world of the Buddhist Pure Land in this world.
Information
- Kinkaku-ji (Rokuon-ji)
- Address: 1 Kinkakuji-cho, Kita-ku, Kyoto
- Phone: 075-461-0013
- Website: https://www.shokoku-ji.jp/kinkakuji/
- Information is as of the original Japanese article (2020). Please check the official website for the latest details before visiting.
Reporting: 山下大輔 / Text: EeNa editorial team
