Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)
金閣寺
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The Golden Pavilion on the Pond
Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) is a historic shrine and temple in Kita, Kyoto. Travel through its seasons and highlights across 6 on-location videos before you visit.
Kinkaku-ji, formally Rokuon-ji, is a Zen temple whose top two floors are entirely covered in gold leaf. Set beside the mirror-like Kyoko-chi pond, the shimmering pavilion and its reflection form one of the most iconic images of Japan. Originally built as a retirement villa for the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu in 1397 and later converted into a temple, the surrounding strolling garden is a masterpiece of Muromachi-period design, beautiful in every season.
History & Culture
Yoshimitsu's Golden Villa
Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu built the gold-leafed pavilion as the centrepiece of his lavish retirement villa, a symbol of the cultural flowering of the Muromachi era.
Reconstruction
After the original pavilion was lost to fire in 1950, it was faithfully rebuilt in 1955, and the gold leaf was renewed in 1987 to its present brilliance.
1 Kinkakujicho, Kita-ku, Kyoto 603-8361
- City Bus 101/205 from Kyoto Stn to Kinkakuji-michi
9:00–17:00
¥500
Hours and fees are a guide and may change — please check official information before your visit.
