Ginkakuji Temple
- from JPY 1000
- Not step-free
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Why go
- Wooded grounds covered with many kinds of moss, in a garden credited to the landscape artist Sōami
- The pond framed by openings in the walls, with the moon rising between the Higashiyama peaks
Opening hours
Today08:30 – 17:00Show all
Don't miss
- Kannon-den, usually called Ginkaku, the temple's symbolThe two-storied main structure. The ground floor is in Shinden style and the upper floor in Chan temple style.The main building of the temple On the map
- Kōgetsudai, the moon-viewing platformA moon-viewing platform, one of the garden's two best-known features, alongside the sand garden.In the garden On the map
- The sand heap in the gardenLegend has it that workers left the sand heap, which may symbolize Mount Fuji.In the garden On the map
- Dōjinsai, a tea-ceremony roomOne of the oldest rooms for the tea ceremony, a 4.5-mat room that was a study room for Yoshimasa.At the Tōgu-dō, in its northeast corner On the map
- The tea well (お茶の井), garden spot 18One of the numbered stops in the garden, which include a viewing point at spot 15.In the garden, numbered spot 18 On the map
Know before you go
- The garden and temple complex are open to the public.
- A special autumn viewing runs from 1 November to 5 December, besides the regular visits.
- Details of special viewings are on a separate page of the temple's website, which is in Japanese.
- Cash and several cashless payment methods are accepted, except for special viewings.
- The temple office can be reached by phone at 075-771-5725.
Legends and hidden details
- The unfinished look is read as wabi-sabi, an example of refined simplicity shaped by Zen teaching.
- A northeast room was planned as a library, lit by light reflected from a lake.
Services and visiting hours
- Open every day
- 08:30 to 17:00
Interesting facts7
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The Silver Pavilion name comes from silver foil planned for the exterior, which was never applied.
Ginkaku-ji - Wikipedia -
The silver look came from lacquer that reflected the pond's water.
Ginkaku-ji - Wikipedia -
Many consider it more beautiful than its golden counterpart, Kinkaku-ji.
Ginkaku-ji - Wikipedia -
Only two original buildings survive; the main one is the pavilion itself.
Ginkaku-ji - Wikipedia -
Part of UNESCO's Historic Kyoto World Heritage site.
Ginkaku-ji - Wikipedia -
A sub-temple of Shōkoku-ji, in the Rinzai school of Zen.
Ginkaku-ji - Wikipedia -
Up to ten buildings were planned, but none was completed.
Ginkaku-ji - Wikipedia
Shorts
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History
Ginkaku-ji began as a retirement villa for Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the eighth shogun. He built it on the grounds of Jōdo-ji, a Tendai temple burned in the Ōnin War, and designed the buildings and garden according to his own interests. The retreat became the centre of Higashiyama culture and is its epitome. Its design was meant to imitate Kinkaku-ji, the golden pavilion that Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, Yoshimasa's grandfather, had built. After Yoshimasa's death, the unfinished estate became a Zen temple named Jishō-ji, as he had wished.
- 1460Ashikaga Yoshimasa begins planning a retirement villa and gardens on the site.
- 1467Construction stops during the Ōnin War.
- 1482Construction of the main hall begins in February.
- 1483Yoshimasa moves in, and Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado titles the estate Higashiyama-dono.
- 1486The Tōgu-dō, the second surviving original building, is completed.
Show all
- Sengoku periodMany of the buildings burn during the unrest of the period.
- 1952The garden is declared a special historic site (tokubetsu shiseki).
- 1994UNESCO includes the temple in its Historic Kyoto World Heritage site.
How to get there
- BusTake the city bus and get off at the 銀閣寺道 stop.
- ParkingThe temple has no car park of its own. Use the nearby city car park (room for 12 buses and 40 cars) or the coin car parks.
- ParkingAt busy times the city car park may turn away private cars, because buses and taxis get priority.
Accessibility
- Step-free route through the garden Partly step-free: stairs at several garden spots stop wheelchairs and strollers. Wheelchair and stroller users take a detour, turning right before spot 14 (洗月泉). Some parts of the temple cannot be visited by wheelchair or stroller users.
- Multipurpose toilet Yes: one multipurpose toilet is beside the shop.
Sources: Ginkaku-ji - Wikipedia · 銀閣寺 | 臨済宗相国寺派 · 銀閣寺について | 銀閣寺 | 臨済宗相国寺派 · アクセス | 銀閣寺 | 臨済宗相国寺派 · Ginkaku-ji - Wikipedia · Ginkaku-ji - Wikipedia · checked 19 Oct 2026
- Website
- shokoku-ji.jp/ginkakuji/
- Phone
- +81 75-771-5725
Questions and answers
What is the official name of Ginkaku-ji Temple?
Its official name is Jishō-ji (東山慈照寺), a sub-temple of Shōkoku-ji. Ginkaku-ji is the popular name.
How do I get to Ginkaku-ji Temple in Kyoto?
Take a city bus and get off at the 銀閣寺道 stop. The temple's address is 京都府京都市左京区銀閣寺町2, postal code 606-8402.
Is there parking at Ginkaku-ji Temple?
The temple has no car park of its own. Visitors use the nearby city car park, which has room for 12 buses and 40 cars, or coin car parks. At busy times the city car park may turn away private cars, because buses and taxis get priority.
Is Ginkaku-ji Temple wheelchair accessible?
Partly. Some garden spots are reached only by stairs; the detour is set out under Accessibility.
Where is Ginkaku-ji Temple?
Ginkaku-ji stands at 京都府京都市左京区銀閣寺町2, postal code 606-8402, in the northeast of Kyoto.
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