Kyoto · Kita · Japan

Kinkaku-ji

ReligiousHistoric photo spotgoogle verified

easy

10/10

best: morning

iconic, awe-inspiring, reflective

A local would say...

A monk burned this temple down because he couldn't bear that anything so beautiful existed — Mishima wrote a novel about it.

The most recognizable structure in Kyoto — a three-story pavilion covered in gold leaf reflected in the still waters of Kyōko-chi pond. Originally built as a retirement villa for shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu in 1397 and converted to a Zen temple after his death. The current structure is a 1955 reconstruction after a disturbed monk burned the original in 1950.