Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)

Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, is the popular name of Rokuon-ji, an affiliate temple of Shokoku-ji of the Rinzai school of Zen. In 1397 the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu acquired a villa on this site and turned it into a lavish retirement estate; after his death his son converted it into a Zen temple, as Yoshimitsu had wished. The pavilion that stands today is a reconstruction: the original was burned down by a young monk in 1950, an event that inspired Yukio Mishima's novel The Temple of the Golden Pavilion, and it was rebuilt in 1955 as a close copy.

The building combines three architectural styles, one for each floor. The ground floor follows the shinden style of Heian-period aristocratic houses, the middle floor the style of samurai residences, and the top floor that of a Zen hall. The upper two floors are covered in gold leaf, renewed in a major restoration in the 1980s, and a bronze phoenix stands on the roof. The pavilion looks out over Kyoko-chi, the Mirror Pond, whose islands and pines are arranged so that the gold building is reflected in the water.

A visit follows a one-way path. You first see the pavilion across the pond from the classic viewpoint, then the route passes the abbot's quarters and climbs through the wooded garden to the Sekka-tei teahouse, before ending near a small tea garden and souvenir stalls. The interior of the pavilion is not open to the public. The walk takes around 30 to 45 minutes, and the temple is open daily from 9:00 to 17:00.

This is one of Kyoto's busiest sights, so expect crowds, especially when school groups visit. The first hour after opening and the last hour before closing are usually calmer, and a sunny day makes the gold leaf glow. Kinkaku-ji suits first-time visitors of all ages; the path includes some gentle slopes and steps on the hill section. The temple's website also offers a live camera if you want to check the weather and conditions before travelling.

There is no train station close by, so most visitors arrive by city bus, getting off at the Kinkakuji-michi or Kinkakuji-mae stops, or by taxi. Kinkaku-ji combines well with Ryoan-ji and its rock garden and with Ninna-ji, both reached along the road to the west, making an easy half day in the north-west of the city.