Kyoto Ginkakuji 銀閣寺

Ginkakuji 銀閣寺, aka Silver Pavilion, is a Zen temple along Kyoto’s eastern mountains (Higashiyama). In 1482, shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa 足利義政 (1436-1490) built his retirement villa on the grounds of today’s temple, modelled after Kinkakuji 金閣寺 (Golden Pavilion), his grandfather’s retirement villa at the base of Kyoto’s northern mountains (Kitayama). The villa was converted into a Zen temple after Yoshimasa’s death in 1490.

Somon 総門 | Main Gate

As the retirement villa of an art obsessed shogun, Ginkakuji became a centre of contemporary culture, known as the Higashiyama Culture 東山文化 in contrast to the Kitayama Culture 北山文化 of his grandfather’s times.

Kuri・Daigenkan 庫裏・大玄関 | Storeroom – Entrance

Unlike the Kitayama Culture, which remained limited to the aristocratic circles of Kyoto, the Higashiyama Culture 東山文化 had a broad impact on the entire country. The arts developed and refined during the time include the tea ceremony, flower arrangement, Noh theatre, poetry, garden design and architecture. 侘び寂び Wabi-sabi style was developed from this era.

Today, Ginkakuji consists of the Silver Pavilion, half a dozen other temple buildings, a beautiful moss garden and a unique dry sand garden. It is enjoyed by walking along a circular route around its grounds, from which the gardens and buildings can be viewed.

A first sight of the Silver Pavilion can be enjoyed shorty after entering the grounds. Formally named Kannonden (Kannon Hall), the pavilion’s two stories are constructed in two different architecture styles and contain a statue of Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy. However, the interior of the building is not open to the public.

Despite its name, the Silver Pavilion was never covered in silver. Instead, it is believed that the name arose as a nickname more than a century after the building’s construction to contrast it with the Golden Pavilion. Alternatively, it is explained that moon light reflecting on the building’s dark exterior (which used to be covered in black lacquer) gave it a silvery appearance.

The pavilion is one of only two buildings on the grounds of Ginkakuji which have survived intact the many fires and earthquakes of the past centuries, although it has been undergoing periodical renovation works to keep it well preserved.

Hojo 方丈 | Abbot’s Quarter

The abbot’s chamber (the main hall) was constructed in the middle of the Edo period. The central Ginshadan’s majestic appearance gives one a sense of Ashikaga Yoshimasa’s virtue and influence as well. The principal image, Shakyamuni Buddha, is enshrined here, and on the facade is hung the phrase “Tozan Suijo Ko” (‘The eastern mountains move over the water’), and inside are held images drawn by masters of Song-style painting from the Edo period, Yosa Buson and Ikeno Taiga. From the abbot’s chamber, there is also an absolutely splendid view of Mt. Tsukimatsu. In front of the abbot’s chamber, white sand is piled up to form the stair-like Ginshadan and the truncated cone structure of the Kogetsudai.

Beside the garden stands the Hondo (main hall), which displays paintings on its sliding doors (fusuma) but cannot be entered.

Togudo 東求堂 | Prayers from the East Hall

Right next to the Hondo stands the Togudo, Ginkakuji’s only other temple building besides the Silver Pavilion which dates back to the temple’s foundation. The Togudo is celebrated for containing a study room of 4.5 tatami mats, which is considered to be the oldest extant example of Shoin architecture, the architecture style in which most contemporary tatami rooms are still designed today. The building is not usually open to the public.

Built at the same time as the Silver Pavilion’s Kannon-den, the Togu-do is a national treasure, a rare extant remnant of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu’s construction at the time. The Togu-do was originally known as the Jibutsu-do where an Amida Nyorai (Skt. Amitabha Tathagata) was enshrined.

Kogetsudai 向月台 | Moon Viewing Platform

Next along the route is an expansive, meticulously maintained dry sand garden, 銀沙灘 Ginshadan, aka the “Sea of Silver Sand”, with a massive sand cone named Kogetsudai 向月台, aka “Moon Viewing Platform”.

Ginshadan 銀沙灘 | Sea of Silver Sand

Folklore says that the Ginshadan was meant to reflect moonlight, and the Kogetsudai to appear as if it were sitting atop Higashiyama and holding the moon, but there is little evidence that these explanations actually go back to the Muromachi period and are not just recent inventions. However, these constructions are certainly fantastic and unlike anything else.

Togudo was built as a symbol of faith in the Pure Land, and through the surrounding Zen-style garden, we can get a glimpse of Yoshimasa’s inner spiritual world. After passing by the Togudo, the walking path then takes visitors through Ginkakuji’s moss garden, which features ponds with islands and bridges, little streams and various plants.

Sengetsusen 洗月泉

The waterfalls on the southeastern end of Nishiki Kagami Ike pond bring water all the way from Yamabe Yamakuro to the lower gardens of the Silver Pavilion and Togu-do. The upper garden can be seen from the path. In the vicinity of the crumbling Sousen-tei ruins, you can see a unique stone arrangement.

Traveling up from the lower garden to the eastern hillside, one will arrive at a tea well.

The path climbs a hill behind the buildings from where there are nice views of the entire temple grounds and the city beyond.

At last, visitors can enjoy once more some closer views of the Silver Pavilion before exiting the grounds.

Ginkaku-ji (Higashiyama Jisho-ji) 銀閣寺
2 Ginakuji-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8402 Japan

Visited Mar 2025

(Most of the text plagiarised from japan-guide.com, a wonderful guide to Japan from an outsider who has stayed in Japan for a long time. I use this site for a lot of my travel research.)