Kyoto | Ginkaku-ji Temple (Silver Pavilion)

Ginkakuji 'Temple of the Silver Pavillion'

The Kannoden Ginkaku-ji, or "Silver Pavilion" Temple was originally constructed in 1489, during the Muromachi-period. The Ginkaku-ji complex is situated at the base of the Higashiyama mountains, in the northern part of Kyoto.

The adjacent 'Higashiyama Palace,' also known as 'Higashiyama-dono' or 'Jisho-ji' was built as a villa for the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa, in 1842. The Jisho-ji was converted into a Zen Buddhist temple following the death of Ashikaga Yoshimasa.

Tôzan Jishô-ji and the Higashiyama-dono

The complex was modeled after Saiho-ji, with the Higashiyama-dono, Ginkaku-ji 'Silver Pavilion,' and Tôgudô 'Buddha hall' situated around a central pond. Ginkaku-ji's official name is Tôzan Jishô-ji, or 'Eastern Mountains Jishô-ji,' and the temple is considered a branch temple of Shôkoku-ji.

The Ginkaku is a two-story structure, with the ground floor being constructed in the wayo style known as the shoin or "library" design, and is called the Shinkûden, or "Heart of Emptiness Hall." Ginkaku's second floor is constructed in the butsudo or "Buddha-hall" style of Zen architecture, and is called the Chôonden, or "Hall of Roaring Waves."

The temple gardens have a beautiful Zen raked-gravel garden, and a walking path up the Daimonjiyama, or Nyoigatake hillside to a vista point that overlooks the Ginkaku-ji Temple, and northern Kyoto beyond.

A Buddhist shrine called the Togudo within the Higashiyama-dono Palace, still contains some of the original ancestral mortuary-tablets (jibutsudo) from Ashikaga Yoshimasa.

Tôgudô's Dojinsai Tea House

The Tôgudô, or 'Hall of the Eastern Quest,' is a small out-building housing the Dojinsai tea room, which is believed to be the origin of the yojohan tea room design. Water for the tea ceremony was taken from an adjacent stream called the Ochanoi, or 'Tea Well.'

The Ginkaku-ji site, and surrounding area along the Shirakawa River has a long history of ceremonial activity dating back to Jômon-period from 10,000 BC to 300 BC.

The remains of Nara-period temples from 710 AD to 94 AD have been discovered in this location, and the Jôdo-ji Temple from the Heian-period was built on this site.

After decades of neglect, the Ginkaku-ji temple complex was restored during the mid-17th century, and is now listed as a UNESCO 'World Heritage Site.' The Ginkaku-ji Silver Pavilion is situated at the north end of the Path of Philosophy.

Satellite Image of the Ginkakuji Temple

World Heritage Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto