Kinkaku-ji


  • Caption
    View of Exterior
Date
1398 (garden creation);1958 (reconstructed)
Location
Asia->Japan->Kyoto
Description
Kinkaku-ji (Temple of the Golden Pavilion) was constructed in Kyoto's northern hills in 1398 by Yoshimitsu, the third Ashikaga shogun. It was once part of a much larger villa complex. When he died, it became a Zen temple in accordance with his will. The original temple burned in 1950 and it was subsequently rebuilt. The first floor (The Chamber of Dharma Waters) was inspired by the Heian mansions of the 11th century and is often described as the Shinden style. It is merely a large room surrounded by a veranda. The veranda sits beneath the more massive second story and is separated from the interior by reticulated shutters called Shitomido. The Shitomido reach only halfway to the ceiling, allowing ample light and air in the interior. The second story (The Tower of Sound Waves) is a Samurai house style. Intended as a Buddha hall, it encloses an icon of the Bodhisattva Kannon. The third story is built in the Zen style, with cusped windows and ornamentation. It houses an Amida triad and twenty-five Bodhisattvas. A Chinese phoenix crowns the eaves.
Style/Period
Ashikaga or Muromachi (1392 - 1568 CE)
Material
trees
stone and/or rock
wood (hardwood or softwood)
water