After leaving Nijo Castle, my next stop was Kinkaku‑ji, the Golden Pavilion, shimmering above its mirror‑like pond and framed by pines and mossy banks. The whole scene felt almost unreal, as if the building were floating in a painting.

Kinkaku‑ji’s story goes back to the late 14th century, when this site was an aristocrat’s villa called Kitayama‑dai, owned by Saionji Kintsune.  In 1397 the third shogun, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, bought the estate and turned it into his lavish retirement villa, with the Golden Pavilion as its centrepiece.  After Yoshimitsu died in 1408, his son honoured his wishes by converting the villa into a Rinzai Zen temple called Rokuon‑ji, which is still Kinkaku‑ji’s formal name today. 

The pavilion itself is a three‑storey structure that blends different architectural styles on each level, with the top two floors covered in gold leaf so they glow in the light and reflect on Kyōko‑chi, the “Mirror Pond.”  Inside, it serves as a reliquary hall, enshrining Buddhist images and sacred relics, symbolising a Pure Land paradise.  The surrounding strolling garden is designed so every step along the path reveals a new angle of the pavilion, islands, stones, and sculpted pine trees, all carefully arranged to balance water, greenery, and gold.

Kinkaku‑ji has also endured tragedy. In 1950, a young monk set fire to the pavilion, burning the 500‑year‑old structure to the ground and shocking the entire country.  Using historical drawings and records, it was rebuilt in 1955 as a faithful reconstruction, and later restoration in the 1980s added fresh gold leaf, giving it the brilliant appearance visitors see today.  Walking around the pond now, it is hard to imagine that this peaceful, radiant temple once disappeared in flames—its current beauty feels like a second life, shining even more brightly against the green hills of northern Kyoto.