Kyoto in Photos: Kinkakuji and Ginkakuji

Part 5 of 10

Place: Kinkakuji (Temple of the Golden Pavilion)
Location: North-west of the city center. Take the bus to the Kinkakuji-machi or Kinkakuji-mae stop.

Essential Information: Originally built in 1397 as a private retirement estate for Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the golden pavilion became a Buddhist temple upon his death according to his wishes. The original building was destroyed by an arsonist in 1950, but has been reconstructed. Kinkakuji is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

My Take: Kinkakuji seems like a pretty popular place. It seemed like it was the busiest and most crowded place I visited in Kyoto. The temple is stunning in appearance, and is obviously photogenic, as evidenced by the results of even an amateur like me. In particular, the stillness of the pond (named Mirror Pond, ironically) reveals a perfect reflection of the golden pavillion.

The Golden Pavillion gets its name from the gold leaf that covers its outer surface.

The pavillion and it's reflection in the Mirror Pond. The small rock islands and manicured trees add visual interest.

I mentioned that Kinkakuji is one of the most popular tourist sights in Kyoto. I present as evidence exhibit A: Here is one of maybe a dozen or so school groups on a class trip to Kinkakuji the morning I was there. As you can see, Japanese fashion is, well, different.

And of course, there's the garden. The lush green of the ground covering is not grass, but a carpet of soft moss. The moss is cared for and maintained by hand, even down to the individual plant level.

Place: Ginkakuji (Temple of the Silver Pavilion)

Location: North-east area of Kyoto. Take the bus to Ginkakuji-mae stop.

Essential Information: As his grandfather built the Golden Pavillion, Ashikaga Yohimasa built Ginkakuji as a place for rest and relaxation. There are also interesting gardens here, particularly the sand and rock garden. Ginkakuji is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Brief Note: It's called the Silver Pavillion, but there's no silver. Not that I was disappointed by this - I read about that ahead of time. Apparently the place was so relaxing that Yoshimasa never got around to putting the metal up. The sand garden was something else, though, and is interesting enough by itself to warrant a visit.

This 2 foot high, 1.75 acre sand sculpture is known as the Sea of Silver Sand (Ginshanden). It is supposed to represent a sea. It's shape was so perfect, that I imagined it must be a permanent construction. In actuality, the sand is loose, and it is reshaped each and every day by the temple's staff (see here). Notice the couple in kimono looking over the sand garden.

This 2 meter tall cone-like sculpture is called the Moon Viewing Platform, but I wouldn't try standing on it if I were you. It is said that on a full moon night, the conical surface reflects moonlight and illuminates the Silver Pavillion.

The Silver Pavillion. Unlike his grandfather, Ashikaga Yoshimasa never got around to coating his pavilion with precious metal.

Another lovely garden scene. This is the Moon Watching Fountain. The narrow stream creates a pattern of ripples over the surface of the pond which will make the reflection of the moon dance. Notice the Japanese maple leaves at top center.

Continuing through the garden leads to a short climb up a hill. From the top, there is a great view of the Ginkakuji grounds, with a backdrop of Kyoto behind.