As you may have noticed, it’s Friday (though soon to be Saturday). As I did not get to this post yesterday, I thought I would put it out now, for after all, better late than never!

The Golden Pavilion, or Kinkaku-ji, is one of the most iconic buildings in Japan. Situated in the historic city of Kyoto, the Kinkaku-ji is a Buddhist temple set in a walking garden known as Rokuon-ji, which translated means “Deer Garden Temple.” While the site was once a villa, it was purchased in 1397 by a powerful warlord, and after his death, was converted to a temple according to his wishes. The building is three stories and sits on the edge of a small lake. During the  late 1400s, every building in the complex except the Kinkaku-ji was burned down during the Onin War.

The temple itself, however, is not the original structure. In 1950, it was burned to the ground by a novice monk, and subsequently rebuilt to its present incarnation. The upper two floors are covered with gold leaf, and the building is said to be a close facsimile to the original structure. Here are a few facts about the Kinkaku-ji:

• The Kinkaku-ji was built in 1397, and reconstructed after it was burned in a fire in 1955.
• The monk who destroyed the original building was given a seven year sentence, but was released later that year due to schizophrenia. He died of tuberculosis the next year.
• The gold leaf on the structure is 5 times the thickness of most gold leaf, as the original was found to be pealing in 1984.
• The Kinkaku-ji is one of the 17 Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.
• The building is 3 stories, or 12.5 meters in height.
• In Japanese, Kinkaku-ji is written as 金閣寺.
• Each floor of the Kinkaku-ji is designed in a different style, using shinden, samurai, and zen styles.

I hope you enjoyed this little jaunt into old Japan!