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Kinkaku-ji

Coordinates: 35°02′22″N 135°43′43″E / 35.0395°N 135.7285°E / 35.0395; 135.7285
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This article is about a Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan. For other topics translated as "Temple of the Golden Pavilion" or "Golden Pavilion Temple" in English, see Temple of the Golden Pavilion (disambiguation).
Rokuon-ji
鹿苑寺
The shariden at Rokuon-ji,
commonly known as the Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji) Map
Religion
AffiliationBuddhism
SectZen, Rinzai sect, Shōkoku-ji school
DeityKannon Bosatsu (Avalokiteśvara)
Location
Location1 Kinkakuji-chō, Kita-ku, Kyōto, Kyoto Prefecture[1]
CountryJapan
Kinkaku-ji is located in Japan
Kinkaku-ji
Shown within Japan
Geographic coordinates35°02′22″N 135°43′43″E / 35.0395°N 135.7285°E / 35.0395; 135.7285
Architecture
FounderAshikaga Yoshimitsu
Completed1397
1955 (reconstruction)
Website
www.shokoku-ji.jp/en/kinkakuji/
Japanese name
Kanji金閣寺
Hiraganaきんかくじ
Katakanaキンカクジ
Transcriptions
RomanizationKinkaku-ji
Japanese name
Kanji鹿苑寺
Hiraganaろくおんじ
Katakanaロクオンジ
Transcriptions
RomanizationRokuon-ji

Kinkaku-ji (金閣寺, literally "Temple of the Golden Pavilion"), officially named Rokuon-ji (鹿苑寺, lit. 'Deer Garden Temple'), is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan.[2] It is one of the most popular buildings in Kyoto, attracting many visitors annually.[3] It is designated as a National Special Historic Site, a National Special Landscape and is one of 17 locations making up the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto which are World Heritage Sites.[4]

Kinkaku-ji was ranked the No. 85 Most Holy Place on Earth[5] by religious leaders, writers and scholars in the Patheos multi-faith religion project Sacred Spaces: The 100 Most Holy Places on Earth.

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Design details

Roof ornament

The Golden Pavilion (金閣, Kinkaku) is a three-story building on the grounds of the Rokuon-ji temple complex.[6] The top two stories of the pavilion are covered with pure gold leaf.[6] The pavilion functions as a shariden (舎利殿), housing relics of the Buddha (Buddha's Ashes). The building was an important model for Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion Temple) and Shōkoku-ji, which are also located in Kyoto.[2] When these buildings were constructed, Ashikaga Yoshimasa employed the styles used at Kinkaku-ji and even borrowed the names of its second and third floors.[2]

Architectural design

The fishing deck and small islets at the rear of the pavilion

The pavilion successfully incorporates three distinct styles of architecture, which are shinden, samurai and zen, specifically on each floor.[7] Each floor of the Kinkaku uses a different architectural style.[2]

The first floor, called The Chamber of Dharma Waters (法水院, Hō-sui-in), is rendered in shinden-zukuri style, reminiscent of the residential style of the 11th century Heian imperial aristocracy.[2] It is evocative of the Shinden palace style. It is designed as an open space with adjacent verandas and uses natural, unpainted wood and white plaster.[7] This helps to emphasize the surrounding landscape. The walls and fenestration also affect the views from inside the pavilion. Most of the walls are made of shutters that can vary the amount of light and air into the pavilion[7] and change the view by controlling the shutters' heights. The second floor, called The Tower of Sound Waves (潮音洞, Chō-on-dō ),[2] is built in the style of warrior aristocrats, or buke-zukuri. On this floor, sliding wood doors and latticed windows create a feeling of impermanence. The second floor also contains a Buddha Hall and a shrine dedicated to the goddess of mercy, Kannon.[7] The third floor is built in traditional Chinese chán (Jpn. zen) style, also known as zenshū-butsuden-zukuri. It is called the Cupola of the Ultimate (究竟頂, Kukkyō-chō). The zen typology depicts a more religious ambiance in the pavilion, as was popular during the Muromachi period.[7]

The roof is in a thatched pyramid with shingles.[8] The building is topped with a bronze hōō (phoenix) ornament.[6] From the outside, viewers can see gold plating added to the upper stories of the pavilion. The gold leaf covering the upper stories hints at what is housed inside: the shrines.[9] The outside is a reflection of the inside. The elements of nature, death, religion, are formed together to create this connection between the pavilion and outside intrusions.

Garden design

The Golden Pavilion is set in a Japanese strolling garden (回遊式庭園, kaiyū-shiki-teien, lit. a landscape garden in the go-round style).[10] The location implements the idea of borrowing of scenery ("shakkei") that integrates the outside and the inside, creating an extension of the views surrounding the pavilion and connecting it with the outside world. The pavilion extends over a pond, called Kyōko-chi (鏡湖池, Mirror Pond), that reflects the building.[11] The pond contains 10 smaller islands.[7] The zen typology is seen through the rock composition; the bridges and plants are arranged in a specific way to represent famous places in Chinese and Japanese literature.[7] Vantage points and focal points were established because of the strategic placement of the pavilion to view the gardens surrounding the pavilion.[12] A small fishing hall (釣殿, tsuri-dono) or roofed deck is attached to the rear of the pavilion building, allowing a small boat to be moored under it.[11] The pavilion grounds were built according to descriptions of the Western Paradise of the Buddha Amida, intending to illustrate a harmony between heaven and earth.[10] The largest islet in the pond represents the Japanese islands.[11] The four stones forming a straight line in the pond near the pavilion are intended to represent sailboats anchored at night, bound for the Isle of Eternal Life in Chinese mythology.[11]

The garden complex is an excellent example of Muromachi period garden design.[6] The Muromachi period is considered to be a classical age of Japanese garden design.[12] The correlation between buildings and its settings were greatly emphasized during this period.[12] It was a way to integrate the structure within the landscape in an artistic way. The garden designs were characterized by a reduction in scale, a more central purpose and a distinct setting.[13] A minimalistic approach was brought to the garden design, by recreating larger landscapes in a smaller scale around a structure.[13]

  • 1930s travel poster
    1930s travel poster
  • Entrance and ticket booth
    Entrance and ticket booth
  • Kinkaku-ji close up
    Kinkaku-ji close up
  • Interior
    Interior
  • Kinkaku-ji garden
    Kinkaku-ji garden
  • The lower pond
    The lower pond
  • Toyohara Chikanobu
    Toyohara Chikanobu
  • White Snake Pagoda of Kinkaku-ji
    White Snake Pagoda of Kinkaku-ji
  • Kinkaku-Ji, Kyoto in May 2019
    Kinkaku-Ji, Kyoto in May 2019
  • Kinkaku-ji keychain
    Kinkaku-ji keychain

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "Tourist Facilities of Japan - Kinkaku-ji Temple Garden". Japan National Tourism Organization. Retrieved 2010-07-15.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Kinkakuji Temple - 金阁寺, Kyoto, Japan". Oriental Architecture. Retrieved 2010-07-13.
  3. ^ Bornoff, Nicholas (2000). The National Geographic Traveler: Japan. National Geographic Society. ISBN 0-7922-7563-2.
  4. ^ "Places of Interest in Kyoto (Top 15 most visited places in Kyoto by visitors from overseas)". Asano Noboru. Retrieved 2010-07-15.
  5. ^ "Kinkaku-ji - Patheos Sacred Spaces". www.patheos.com. Retrieved 2023-07-02.
  6. ^ a b c d Eyewitness Travel Guides: Japan. Dorling Kindersley Publishing (2000). ISBN 0-7894-5545-5.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Cite error: The named reference Young, David 2007 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Young, David, Michiko Young, and Tan Hong. The material culture of Death in medieval Japan. North Claredon, VT: Turtle Publishing, 2005. N. pag. Print.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Gerhart, Karen M 2009 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference fodors1996 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference kyotoasano01 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ a b c “Pregil, Philip, and Nancy Volkman. Landscapes in History: Design and Planning in the Eastern and Western tradition. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Inc., 1992. N. pag. Print.”.
  13. ^ a b Boults, Elizabeth, and Chip Sullivan. Illustrated History of Landscape Design. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons INc., 2010. N. pag. Print.

References

  • Boults, Elizabeth, and Chip Sullivan. Illustrated History of Landscape Design. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2010.
  • Gerhart, Karen M. The Material Culture of Death in Medieval Japan. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2009.
  • Pregil, Philip, and Nancy Volkman. Landscapes in History: Design and Planning in the Eastern and Western Tradition. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 1992.
  • Young, David, and Michiko Young. The Art of Japanese Architecture. North Claredon, VT: Tuttle Publishing, 2007.
  • Young, David, Michiko Young, and Tan Hong. Introduction to Japanese Architecture. North Claredon, VT: Periplus, 2005.

Further reading

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