Kyoto Japan | Rokuon-ji Golden Pavilion

The Rokuon-ji (Kinkaku-ji) Golden Pavilion

The Kinkaku-ji, or 'Golden Pavilion' is located in the Kitayama mountain range, in the northwestern Kinkakuji-chô district of Kyoto. The site dates back to the 13th century, and was the center of Kyoto's 'Kitayama Culture' during the 16th and 17th century.

The formal gardens surrounding the Kyoko-chi 'Mirror Pond,' combined with the unique architecture of the Golden Pavilion, was said to evoke "paradise on earth."

As with many temples and shrines in Kyoto, there are several names for the Golden Pavilion. The name of Kinkaku, or "Golden Pavilion" comes from the golden pagoda constructed to house the sacred relics of Buddha. The full name of Kinkaku-ji literally means "Temple of the Golden Pavilion."

The Temple itself is a branch of the Zen Rinzai-sect of the Shôkoku-ji Temple, and the official religious name is Rokuon-ji.

The site is also the location of many Heian-period burial mounds and crematories, including that of the Emperor En'yû (c. 969 to c. 984).

The first structure to be built on the site was during the Kamakura-period, by Saionji Kintsune (1171 to 1244), who constructed the Kitayamadai villa, Saion-ji family temple, and Shôrô Bell Tower.

Kitayama Culture

During the Muromachi-period, the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (1358 to 1408) took over the property, building the Kitayamadono villa. The Kitayamadono villa soon became the center of 'Kitayama culture,' which melded various aspects of Ming-dynasty Chinese culture with that of Kyoto's 'Higashiyama,' or 'Eastern Mountain' culture.

The Kara-mon, or 'Chinese Gate' at the entrance to the Rokuon-ji complex is an example of the co-mingling of Japanese and Chinese cultures during this period.

Upon the death of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, Kitayamadono was converted to a Shinto temple, and the new name of Rokuon-ji was adapted from the first two characters in Yoshimitsu's posthumous name. During the Meiô and Bunki period, the Zen-style Hôjô, or 'Abbot's Quarters,' and Kuri 'Living Quarters' were constructed, and the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu appointed Saishô Shôtai as the Rokuon-ji abbot.

Sekka-tei Teahouse & Fudo-do Shrine

Beyond the Anmintaku, or 'Tranquility Pond,' up a steep and winding path is the Sekkatei Teahouse, or 'Favorable Sunset Teahouse'; and the Fudo-do Shrine. The Teahouse was constructed during the Edo period (1615 to 1868), for the retired Emperor Gomizunoo, and restored in 1997.

A resident priest named Hôrin Jôshô commissioned renowned tea-connoisseur Kanemori Sôwa to execute the Sekkatei tea-house design. The adjacent Fudo-do Shrine is dedicated to the God of Fire, containing an Acara (Fudu-myoo) guardian stone.

The hills surrounding Kinkaku-ji are also referred to as the Hokuzan mountains, a name that can be traced back to the Heian period from 794 to 1185. This area was also known as the 'Himuro,' or 'ice chamber' because of the many caves that were excavated into Hidari Daimonjiyama's hillside, to store ice-blocks until the summer months.

The Kinkaku-ji/Rokuon-ji temple complex was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.

Kinkaku-ji, Shôkoku-ji, and Ginkaku-ji Website