Ginkakuji

Ginkaku-ji, officially Jishō-ji, is a Zen Buddhist temple located in Kyoto's Higashiyama district. It is part of the Rinzai school and forms part of the historic landscape that characterizes the city.

Built in the late 15th century as the retirement villa of Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the complex was later converted into a temple after his death. The name Ginkaku-ji refers to the Silver Pavilion, the main building, which was intended to be clad in silver leaf; the project was never completed, leaving the exterior with a natural gray appearance.

Architecturally, Ginkaku-ji embodies the Higashiyama culture that shaped Muromachi-period aesthetics. The temple is renowned for its garden design, featuring a dry landscape garden (karesansui) and a moss garden, as well as walking paths that overlook the hillside and a pond. The overall layout emphasizes simplicity, asymmetry, and contemplation.

Its design influenced later Japanese garden and tea ceremony aesthetics, contributing to the development of wabi-sabi and the refinement of the Japanese tea ceremony culture.

Today, Ginkaku-ji remains an active temple of the Rinzai sect and is a major cultural site for visitors and pilgrims, attracting those who walk the Philosophers' Path nearby.