Golden Pavilion

The history of Kinkaku or the Golden Pavilion began in 1397 when Ashikaga Yoshimitusu abdicated in favor of his son and began to build this villa as a retreat. The photo to the left shows the Golden Pavilion from across Kyôkô Pond, while the photo to the right is of the Shôrô or Bell Tower, which dates from the period of Ashikaga Yoshimitusu. By 1407 it was a large complex with a three story pagoda, a seven story pagoda and numerous temples. Upon his death a year later the Golden Pavilion itself became a Zen temple, renamed Kinkakuji. The temple was destroyed during a civil war in 1467, rebuilt, and destroyed again in 1567. By now only the pavilion and an annex survived. The Golden Pavilion survived intact until July 3rd, 1950, when a novice monk, who apparently believed the aesthetic qualities of the pavilion detracted from religious concentration, burned it to the ground! It was rebuilt in 1957 and renovated in 1987 (and is currently undergoing some touch-ups when we visited in 2003). The interior architecture of the Golden Pavilion consists of three floors and three different types of architecture:

First floor (Ho-sui-in): Shinden-Zukuri: This is the palace style floor, reflecting Heian architecture

Second floor (Cho-on-do): Buke-Zukuri This is the Samurai house, and reflects the Kamakura style

Third floor (Kukkyo-cho): Karayo This floor is a Zen Temple in the Murmachi style

The Golden Pavilion takes its name from the second and third stories, which are gilded inside and out with approximately 48 kg. ( rough 105 lbs.) of gold. The panorama below offers another glimpse of the Golden Pavilion.