Kinkakuji Temple
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Why go
- The three floors, each in a different style, the lowest in the style of a Heian palace.
- The Muromachi-period strolling garden, where shakkei borrows the surrounding scenery into the views.
Opening hours
Today09:00 – 17:00Show all
Don't miss
- Gold-leaf upper floorsThe top two floors are plated in pure gold, and in sunlight they glow over the pond.The upper two floors, over Kyōko-chi pondIn sunlight
- Four sailboat stonesFour stones in a line by the pond are meant to be sailboats anchored at night.By the pond, in the garden
- The Amida TriadThe Amida Triad, one of the temple's greatest treasures, is kept in the pavilion.Kept in the pavilion
- Buddha Hall and Kannon shrineThe second floor holds a Buddha Hall and a shrine to Kannon.On the second floor
- Cupola of the UltimateThe top floor, Kukkyōchō, is called the Cupola of the Ultimate and is built in the Zen temple style.The top floor
Know before you go
- Open daily, 09:00 to 17:00.
- Groups of 30 or more people must enter the temple as a group.
- You can pay for admission in cash or cashless; amulets and goshuin seals are the exception.
Legends and hidden details
- The garden and buildings, centred on the pavilion, are meant to show a paradise on earth.
Services and visiting hours
- Zazen sessions and training seminars
- They are held here, and the schedule is on the temple's website. Temple office: 075-461-0013
Interesting facts7
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It is a World Heritage Site and a National Special Historic Site.
Kinkaku-ji - Wikipedia -
The official name, Rokuon-ji, means Deer Garden Temple.
Kinkaku-ji - Wikipedia -
The pavilion is an important model for Ginkaku-ji and Shōkoku-ji.
Kinkaku-ji - Wikipedia -
The name Kinkaku-ji is used for the whole temple complex because of the pavilion's fame.
Kinkaku-ji - Wikipedia -
It is one of the Shōkoku-ji sub-temples, a link little known to the public.
金閣寺について | 金閣寺 | 臨済宗相国寺派 -
It lies at the foot of Kinugasa hill, covered in pine forest.
Kinkaku-ji - Wikipedia -
Today it is a popular destination and one of the most photographed temples in Kyoto.
Kinkaku-ji - Wikipedia
Shorts
History
Before the temple, the site was a villa of a court noble, the Saionji family. The culture of his time is called Kitayama bunka (北山文化). After his death, under his will, a temple was founded here, with its founding credited to the Zen master Musō Soseki. His son Yoshimochi made it a Rinzai Zen temple named Rokuon-ji. Fire struck the temple several times during the Ōnin war, and only the golden pavilion survived. Yukio Mishima wrote a 1956 novel, Kinkaku-ji, about the fire.
- 1397Shōgun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu buys the site from the Saionji clan and builds his villa there.
- 1467–1477Fire strikes the temple several times in the Ōnin war; only the golden pavilion survives.
- 1894The temple reopens to the public after losing financial support in the Meiji era.
- 1897The temple becomes one of the first national treasures.
- 1950A novice monk sets fire to the pavilion, and it burns down.
Show all
- 1955An exact replica of the pavilion is rebuilt, and it loses national-treasure status.
- 1987The walls get new lacquer, and the gold leaf is renewed with 20 kg of new leaf.
- 1994The temple is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, together with other sites.
How to get there
- BusTake a city bus and get off at the 金閣寺道 stop.
- ParkingParking in three lots, 250 spaces in total.
- CarAddress for navigation: 京都市北区金閣寺町1, Kita ward, Kyoto.
Sources: Kinkaku-ji - Wikipedia · 金閣寺 | 臨済宗相国寺派 · 金閣寺について | 金閣寺 | 臨済宗相国寺派 · アクセス | 金閣寺 | 臨済宗相国寺派 · Kinkaku-ji - Wikipedia · Kinkaku-ji - Wikipedia · checked 17 Oct 2026
- Website
- shokoku-ji.jp/kinkakuji/
- Phone
- +81 75-461-0013
Questions and answers
Who runs Kinkaku-ji temple today?
Monks of Shōkoku-ji, its parent temple, run it on fixed terms as an outer sub-temple.
Did an emperor visit Kinkaku-ji temple?
Yes. The temple hosted an emperor's visit, which boosted overseas trade and helped culture grow.
What lies near Kinkaku-ji temple?
A road runs south-west from Kinkaku-ji to Ryōan-ji and Ninna-ji.
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