Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)

Kinkaku-ji, the Temple of the Golden Pavilion, is Kyoto's single most photographed landmark and one of Japan's most recognizable architectural icons, situated in Kita Ward. The three-story Zen Buddhist pavilion is covered almost entirely in gold leaf on its upper two floors, while the ground floor retains natural wood in the Shinden palace style. The structure reflects with near-perfect symmetry in the Kyoko-chi mirror pond surrounding it, creating the golden-double image that has made it world famous. Originally constructed in 1397 as a retirement villa for shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the building was converted to a Rinzai Zen temple after his death in 1408, in accordance with his wishes. Each of the three floors represents a different architectural style: the first floor is in the aristocratic Shinden style, the second in Buke warrior style with gold-lacquered interiors, and the third in Zen Buddhist Chinese style. The complex was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 as part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. The current structure is a 1955 reconstruction after the original was burned by a young monk in 1950. Visitors follow a clockwise circuit through the strolling garden, with the best view of the pavilion from the main viewing platform across the pond. Beyond the pavilion, the garden path leads through a pine grove, past a stone teahouse, a sea of silver sand garden feature, and a stone waterfall where Yoshimitsu once practiced ritual foot-cleansing. The entire garden circuit takes approximately 30 to 45 minutes. The tea house Sekkatei offers matcha and sweets for an additional charge at the garden's upper section. Photography is freely permitted on the exterior and within the garden. The interior of the pavilion itself is not accessible to visitors.