Kyoto Attractions

Venue: Kinkaku-ji    When: Daily

The Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji) is one of Japan's most famous attractions. Built as part of the palace of a decadent retired emperor, the entire structure is covered in gold leaf and topped with an elegant phoenix, creating a truly dazzling sight.

Situated on the edge of the aptly-named "Mirror Lake" (Kagami-ike), the pavilion was built as the summer house of the 14th century Ashikaga Shogun, Yoshimitsu. On his death, as was customary, it became a Buddhist temple. Properly known as Rokuon-ji, Kinkaku-ji today belongs, rather surprisingly, to a Zen Buddhist sect (Zen is generally known for its minimalism and austerity).

In 1950 disaster struck when a young monk became obsessed with the structure and in a fit of madness burned it to the ground. This story is retold in Yukio Mishima's famous novel The Temple of the Golden Pavilion (later made into a film). The pavilion was quickly reconstructed and is claimed to be identical in every detail to the original.

The pavilion is small, delicate and covered in immensely valuable gold leaf, so for obvious reasons visitors are not permitted to enter. However, as the view of the outside is the main attraction anyway, this shouldn't put you off.

The number of visitors is fearsome, but well laid-out paths and the fact that the pavilion is best viewed across the lake (giving a clear line of sight for photographers) ensures that crowds don't detract much from the experience. Quieter times are early in the morning and later in the afternoon, when the evening sun can make the gold gleam spectacularly.

Right over on the other side of Kyoto stands Kinkaku-ji's twin, the Silver Pavilion (Ginkaku-ji). Built by Yoshimitsu's grandson, the intention was to cover it in silver leaf. However this was never achieved and the elegant wooden pavilion is today rustically weathered.

For the greatest possible contrast with the Golden Pavilion, be sure not to miss the austere and enigmatic Zen garden of nearby Ryoan-ji.