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The Golden Pavilion (金閣, Kinkaku) is a three-story building on the grounds of the Rokuon-ji temple complex. The top two stories of the pavilion are covered with pure gold leaf. The pavilion functions as a shariden (舎利殿), housing relics of the Buddha (Buddha's Ashes).
Kinkakuji (金閣寺, Golden Pavilion) is a Zen temple in northern Kyoto whose top two floors are completely covered in gold leaf. Formally known as Rokuonji, the temple was the retirement villa of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and according to his will it became a Zen temple of the Rinzai sect after his death in 1408.
Kinkaku-ji, Zen Buddhist temple in Kyōto, Japan, that is officially named Rokuon-ji but is popularly known as Kinkaku-ji for its magnificent Golden Pavilion. The temple is one of the finest examples of architecture from the Muromachi period, when the Ashikaga shogunate reigned.
Overview and history of the Kinkaku-ji Golden Pavilion, one of Shokoku-ji Temple’s affiliate temples. GUIDE. Enjoy Kinkaku-ji’s famous sights and hidden spots from a new perspective. GALLERY. Kinkaku-ji offers beautiful scenes each season. LIVE CAMERA. Kinkakuji’s live image feed is updated every three minutes. ACCESS.
Kinkaku-ji Temple (The Golden Pavilion) The image of the temple richly adorned in gold leaf reflects beautifully in the water of Kyokochi, the mirror pond. It is perhaps the most widely-recognized image of Kyoto.
Its famous Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku)—actually a pagoda made to house the sacred relics of the Buddha—has given this temple the popular name of Kinkaku-ji (“Temple of the Golden Pavilion”), however the official name of this branch temple of the Rinzai-sect Zen temple of Shokoku-ji is Rokuon-ji.
This three-tiered pavilion covered in gold leaf is one of the most famous and recognizable of all the historic structures in Kyoto. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the temple is considered a must-see destination by visitors to the verdant city.
