KINKAKU-JI - GOLDEN PAVILION

It is certainly the most famous monument in Japan. It takes its name from the large golden-roofed pavilion in the middle of the park, which is brilliantly reflected in the surrounding lake. The park surrounding the garden is just as sublime as the pavilion itself.

The pavilion. Built on the site of the country house of Kintsune Saionji, a nobleman of the Kamakura period, at the beginning of the 13th century. The shōgun Yoshimitsu Ashikaga, after handing over power to his son Yoshimichi, decided to retire and had the Golden Pavilion, which he designed, and the gardens built in 1397. Upon his death, his son converted it into the Rokuon Temple. It is also called Rokuon-ji. The suicide of a young mad monk caused the pavilion to burn down in 1950. This tragic accident was immortalized by Yukio Mishima in his novel The Golden Pavilion. The pavilion was rebuilt identically in 1955, although gold leaf originally covered only the second floor. The building is entirely covered with pure gold, except for the ground floor. It serves as a shariden, containing relics of Buddha. From an architectural point of view, it is a harmonious and elegant building that combines three different types of architecture: the ground floor (Hō-sui-in) is in the Shinden-zukuri style, the style of palaces of the Heian period; the first floor (Chō-on-dō) follows the Buke-zukuri style of samurai houses and the second floor (Kukkyō-chō) is in the Karayō style, that of Zen temples. At the top of the shingled roof is the carving of a golden fenghuang, or "Chinese phoenix".

The garden. It was part of a gigantic property belonging to the family of Kintsune Saionji. It was designed by Yoshimitsu Ashikaga in such a way that the arrangement of rocks and plants gives it a Zen style. It is believed that his design was directly influenced by Kokushi Mus, the great master of moss gardens. The garden was devastated during the Civil War and only the Golden Pavilion survived. We can notice the Sekka-tei Tea Pavilion, built in the 17th century and the Kyōhoku-rō, a construction dating from the Meiji era. The whole (garden and pavilion) is since 1994 classified in the world heritage of the Humanity of UNESCO. Try to go there a little before or after the lunch break to avoid the crowd of organized trips that crowds around the pavilion trying to find the perfect photograph to immortalize the beauty of the place.