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History:Kinkaku-ji(
Yoshimitsu,
the third Shōgun of Ashikaga, abdicated the
throne in 1394.After three years, he began to build Kitayamaden
and he made a special effort to make Kinkaku a
breath-taking site.He indulged in his peaceful life
in this serene setting.
After Yoshimitsu’s
death, Kinkaku was made into a Zen temple in
accordance with his will.All the buildings of those
days came to ruin except Kinkaku. The garden, however, remains as it was in
former days and can be enjoyed as it was hundreds of years ago.
Building:Kinkaku was
formally called Shariden. The elegant, harmonious
building consists of three types of architecture. The 1st floor is Shinden-zukuri, the palace style. It is named Ho-sui-in..The second floor is Buke-zukuri, the style of the samurai house and is called Chō-on-dō.The third floor is Karayō
style or Zen temple style.It is called Kukkyō-chō.Both the second and third floors are
covered with gold-leaf on Japanese lacquer. The roof, upon which the Chinese
phoenix settles, is thatched with shingles.
During recent years, however, the
structure has become damaged, and has required extensive repairs to be
undertaken, such as the restoration of the art-work on the ceiling and the
renovation of the gold-leaf.The present gold-leaf is
five times thicker than the original.By October 1987 Kinkaku had been restored to its original splendor.
Points of interest:The name of the
pond is Kyōko-chi(Mirror pond).The pond contains
many large and small islands. Climbing a few steps, you stand at the edge of
another small pond, An-min-taku. The small stone
pagoda on the island is called Hakuja-no-tsuka(the mound in memory of the white snake)
The classic tea house is called Sekka-tei. In Sekka-tei there is
a celebrated pillar made of a nandin.The house was
restored in 1997. On the way to the exit of the temple, you will find the small
Fudōdō shrine where the stone Fudō-myōō(Acara) is enshrined as a
guardian.