Kinkakuji Temple Kyoto
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Kinkaku-ji Temple, Kyoto was originally intended to be a villa for Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (1358-1408), the third Ashikaga Shogun. It comprised several buildings, including a building inspired by the Imperial Palace’s Shishin-den Hall. When the Shogun passed away, he bequeathed the temple to the Rinzai monks and 11 years later, it was turned into a Zen temple, with Muso Kokushi as abbot, in keeping with his dying wish.
On 2nd July 1950, a 21-year-old monk and student at Otani University set the Kinkaku-ji Temple ablaze. The wooden temple was destroyed in the flames and the young man was arrested. The monk was believed to be insane and had become unduly attached to the temple. This dramatic story was popularized by Mishima Yukio in his novel “The Temple of the Golden Pavilion”.
The temple was then built anew in 1955, extending the gold foil covering to the lower floors as well. Every storey of the Kinkaku-ji Temple, Kyoto is designed in a different architectural style. The first floor called “The Chamber of Dharma Waters” is inspired from the 11th century Heian buildings and is described as the Shinden style. It is a large room encircled by a verandah that is separated from the room by reticular shutters called Shitomido. The Shitomido reaches half way up to the ceiling and is an ingenious device of allowing ample natural light and air into the room.
The second storey of Kinkaku-ji Temple in Kyoto, with the rather poetic name of “The Tower of Sound Waves”, is built in the Samurai house style. Designated as a Buddha hall, it contains an icon of the Bodhisattva Kannon.
The third storey is designed in the Zen mode of design, with cusped windows and ornamentation. On this floor, an Amida triad and 25 Bodhisattvas are kept. A Chinese phoenix forms a crest on the eaves.
Kinkaku-ji Temple, Kyoto has inspired many later works, particularly the Silver Pavilion, or Ginkakuji, built in 1384 by another member of the Ashikaga family, Yoshimasa, the 8th shogun. Yoshimasa improved upon the styles employed at Kinkaku-ji and even used the names of its 2nd and 3rd floors.
The Saihoji Temple and moss garden complex of Muso Soseki (1275-1351) built in 1339 are also said to have a lot of similarity with the Kinkaku-ji Temple at Kyoto.
The grounds of Kinkaku-ji are ringed by buildings along the path that lead to a pond. One of the teahouses on this route, called the Sekka-tei, houses a famous pillar made of a nandon. At the path's exit is a small Fudodo shrine where the stone image of Fudo-myoo (Acara), the God of Fire and Wisdom, is enshrined. It is said that if a believer writes his prayers and wishes on a piece of paper and ties it to the surrounding bushes, his prayers are granted.
How to get to Kinkaku-ji Temple:
There are a lot of buses, which leave from Kyoto station that will drop u at a bus stop very close to this famed temple.
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