Ginkaku-ji Temple

Ginkaku-ji Temple

Ginkaku-ji Temple, often referred to as the Silver Pavilion, is located in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. It belongs to the Rinzai sect Shokoku-ji school, which represents the Higashiyama culture, and its mountain name is Higashiyama. The temple is said to have been founded in 1490 (the 2nd year of the Entoku era) by Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the 8th shōgun of the Muromachi shogunate, and its principal image is that of Shakyamuni Buddha. Because the Kannon Hall built within the temple grounds is usually referred to as the “Silver Pavilion,” the whole temple is often called “Ginkaku-ji,” echoing the “Golden Pavilion” (official name: Kinkaku-ji) also in Kyoto.

Originally, Ginkaku-ji was the Higashiyama-dono villa that Ashikaga Yoshimasa began constructing in 1482. After Yoshimasa’s death, the villa was converted into a temple to enshrine his posthumous Buddhist name. It was later established as a branch temple of Shokoku-ji and became known as Ginkaku-ji. In the late Sengoku period, Ginkaku-ji was used as a villa by Kampaku Konoe Masaie. After Masaie’s death, the temple flourished once again as a branch of Shokoku-ji.

Despite the many changes over the centuries, Ginkaku-ji still retains its original Silver Pavilion and Tōgu-dō hall intact. Its garden was designated as a Special Historic Site and Special Place of Scenic Beauty by the Japanese government in 1952. On December 17, 1994, Ginkaku-ji was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the “Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.”

Ginkaku-ji

Must-visit reason: One of Kyoto’s most famous temples

Continent where the attraction is located: Asia

Country/region where the attraction is located: Japan

Province/state where the attraction is located: Kyoto Prefecture

City where the attraction is located: Kyoto City