Kinkakuji and Ryoanji

City : Kyoto

Kinkakuji (金閣寺) was first built in 1397 as a part of Kitayama Palace of Ashikaga Shogun. It is the symbol of Kitayama Culture which is influenced both by the traditional aristocracy and Samurai's rising power, resulting in the combination of different architectural style, Shinden style associated with Heian-period nobility on the first story, and the buke style used for samurai houses on the second story.

Kinkakuji was converted to a temple after Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's death. The third floor is built in the style of a Buddha Hall from a Chinese Zen temple. The famous gold leaf can be seen on the second and third stories. Gold was an important export item of the time, and the gilded kinkakuji was functioning as an advertisement to China of flourish Japan.

The temple was burned down by a young monk in 1950 and reconstructed in 1955, it is therefore too young to be listed on the National Treasure. However, the beautiful temple, surrounding garden and pond make great harmony and honored as one of the most famous tourist site in Kyoto.