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Top 10 Fascinating Facts About Kinkaku-Ji

Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion). PHOTO BY; Floyd Manzano from Mililani, United States.

Kinkaku-ji’s official name was Rokuon-Ji, a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan.  

Previously, it was a villa named Kitayama-dai which used to belong to a powerful statesman in Japan known as Saionji Kitsune. 

Kinkaku-Ji is one of the most popular buildings in Kyoto-Japan that attracts thousands of visitors annually.

Kinkaku-Ji is designated a National Special Historic Site. It is also a Special Landscape.

It is among the 17 locations making up the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. Kinkaku-Ji has always been among the World Heritage Sites. Let me take you through the top ten fascinating facts about Kinkakuji.

1. Kinkakuji was Bought from a Powerful Statesman and Converted into Temple

The photograph was taken by EG Stillman around 1905 of the Mirror Pond and Golden Pavilion in Kinkaku-Ji, Kyoto.

Kinkakuji belonged to a powerful Japanese statesman known as Saionji Kintsune. The Saionji family sold the villa to Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu in 1397.

It was later on transformed into the Kinkakuji complex. After Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu died, Kinkakuji was converted to a Zen temple as per his wish.

2. A Young Monk Razed the Temple during Onin War

Kinkaku,_the_Golden_Pavilion_of_Kinkakuji,_Kyoto,_Japan.

The fire inferno razed down Kinkakuji during the Onin War from 1467 to 1477. The buildings within were brought down to ashes apart from the pavilion.

22 years old novice monk Hayaki Yoshen burned the pavilion on 2^nd July 1950. Hayaki was arrested before he committed suicide. He was then sentenced to seven years but was later on released due to several health issues.

During the fire, the original statue of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was also burned down. The statue was later on restored during the renovation and reconstruction of the golden pavilion.

3. Gold Leaf Covers the Top and Second Floors of the Kinkakuji

Kinkaku-Ji (“Temple of the Golden Pavilion”) is seen across 碍测艒办辞-肠丑颈 (Mirror Pond). Kita-Ku, Kyoto. Island of Honshu, Japan. PHOTO BY; Mstyslav Chernov.

The pavilion is three-storey high. The first and second floors are covered in gold leaf.

The rebuilding of the pavilion took place after the two fire incidents. The coating of Japanese lacquer was decaying which prompted a new coating to replace it.

Gold leaf coating was used to gild the top roofs and by 1987 it was completely renovated. The gold leaf was much thicker than the original coatings.

The name Kinkakuji was later on derived from the gold leaf which was covering the pavilion. The gold had more meaning rather than beautifying the pavilion.

It was intended to mitigate and purify any negative thoughts and feelings toward death.

4. It has Elegant Gardens that Retained their Original Designs

Tea Garden. PHOTO BY;

Visitors view the Kinkakuji from across the pond. They then pass by the head priest’s former living quarters. The path passes by Kinkakuji from behind which leads through to the temple’s gardens.

These gardens have retained their original design from Yoshimitsu’s days. They hold a few other spots of interest.

These spots include Anmintaku Pond which never dries up and statues that people throw coins at for luck.

The gardens lead through to the Sekkatei Tea house which was added to the Kinkakuji during the Edo Period.

5. The First Floor of Kinkakuji Built in the Shiden Style

Kinkaku-ji’s Golden Pavilion.

The golden pavilion was built in the wealthy aristocratic circles of Kyoto. Yoshimitsu designed it in a manner that the top floor was built in the Shiden style.

The Shiden style was famously used in building palaces over the Heian Period. The pillars were from natural wood while the walls were of white plaster.

The statues of the Shaka Buddha and Yoshimitsu were stored on the first floor.

The statues are easily viewed by visitors from across the pond because they are not allowed to gain entry into the golden pavilion.

6. The Best Time to Visit Kinkakuji

THE BREATHTAKING LOOK OF THE PAVILION DURING AUTUMN.

THE PAVILION DURING WINTER.

The Kinkakuji is a beautiful place to visit at any time. But there are specific seasons of the year it becomes more beautiful.

During the months of Autumn, the red leaves falling into the pond turn the reflection afire. This reflection makes the Kinkakuji light as if it is awash in flames.

The pine trees make the Kinkakuji more electric during the winter season. The golden pavilion reflects in the calm water.

This makes the view breathtaking and amazing.

7. Pavilion Grounds Built to Illustrate Harmony Between Heaven and Earth

The major design of the pavilion was from Japanese culture. 

The other design was to describe the Western Paradise of the Buddha Amida.

This design was to clearly illustrate the harmony between heaven and earth.

8. The Pavilion has a Pond which has Important Meaning

The Kinkakuji pavilion extends over a pond called 碍测艒办辞-肠丑颈. The pond reflects the building. It contains 10 smaller islands where the Zen typology is seen through the rock composition.

The bridges and plants around the pond are arranged in a specific way to represent famous places in Chinese and Japanese literature.

The largest islet contained in the pond represents the Japanese islands. Four stones are forming a line in the pond that represent sailboats.

9. The Head Priest’s Former Quarters Sliding Doors are not Open to the Public

Kinkakuji pavilion is usually a tourist attraction site. 

One of them is that the pavilion is not open to the visitors who come to the area.

It is viewed from across the pond but a section of the pavilion is always open, visitors pass by but are not allowed in.

The head priest’s former living quarters are known as Hojo is famous for their painted sliding doors (fusuma). 

10. Tourists and Visitors View the Pavilion from a Distance and Cannot Get In

Kinkakuji pavilion is one of the most beautiful sites to visit. Thousands of visitors have always wanted to get into it.

A visit to the golden pavilion requires the tourists to view it from across the pond.

The Kinkakuji pavilion is a great historic site to visit, learn a lot about the Asian culture and appreciate their past.