Rokuon-ji Temple (Kinkaku-ji Temple)

An external sub-temple of the Shokoku-ji School of Rinzai Zen, it was registered as a World Cultural Heritage site in 1994.
The hillside villa of Kitayama-den, erected in 1397 by the third Ashikaga shogun, Yoshimitsu, was turned into a Zen temple after his death, called “Rokuon-ji” after his posthumous Buddhist name of Rokuon-in-dono. The reliquary hall, where bones from Shakyamuni are enshrined, is particularly famous, known around the world as the Golden Pavilion.
The Golden Pavilion uses a different architectural style for each level. Starting with Shinden style on the lowest level, known as the Hossui-in (Hall of Purification of Passions), the second level is Buke (samurai) style and known as the Cho’on-do (Cavern of the Sea of Buddha’s Mercy), while the uppermost level is in the Zen style, and is known as the Kukkyo-cho (Ultimate Peak). This blend of the architectural styles of the nobility and the samurai is a feature of the Kitayama Culture. The second and third levels are entirely covered in gold-leafed lacquer, and the roof is topped by a fenghuang, a mythical Chinese bird.
The lowest level holds a seated statue of Lord Yoshimitsu and statue of a crowned Shakyamuni Nyorai. The second level holds a seated statue of Iwaya Kannon and statues of the Four Heavenly Kings, while the third level houses the relic of Buddha.
The building was lost to fire through arson in 1950, but rebuilt in 1955. In 1987, it was give a fresh coat of lacquer and the gold leaf was replaced.
The expansive strolling garden, centered around the pond, is designated both a Special Historic Site and a Special Place of Scenic Beauty. To the north of the Golden Pavilion are water features connected with Yoshimitsu: the Ginga-sen spring, the Gankasui stream, and the Ryumon-taki waterfall; while the Sekka-tei tea house is famed for its staggered shelves of bush clover wood and its alcove pillar of heavenly bamboo.
Kyoto City