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Ginkaku-ji
Ginkaku-ji Review
The Temple of the Silver Pavilion was intended to dazzle the courtly world with its opulence, but the current structure is an exercise in elegance and restraint. Yoshimasa Ashikaga spent years constructing his retirement villa in a conspicuous homage to his grandfather's Golden Pavilion on the opposite end of town. Carefully sculpted gardens surround a two-story mansion that the shogun originally intended to be wrapped in silver leaf. During construction in the 1470s, a tumultuous war and government unrest meant funds for the audacious project dried up. What remains is a quintessentially peaceful place. High earthen walls frame a modest compound of buildings giving way to extensive gardens. The lovely Silver Pavilion, which stares down at its reflection in the water, sits among the rolling moss-covered hillsides, dark pools, and an enormous dry garden, called the Sea of Sand. To reach Ginkaku-ji from Kyoto Station, take Bus 5, 11, or 17 to the Ginkaku-ji-michi bus stop.
- Address: 1 Ginkaku-ji-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8402 | Map It
- Cost: ¥500
- Hours: Mid-Mar. - Nov., daily 8:30 - 5; Dec. - mid-Mar., daily 9 - 4:30
- Location: Eastern Kyoto
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· Forums Trip Reports
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Trip Report Kyushu May 2013
I will try to trace our Kyushu trip for forum members and those interested in this part of Japan.
Here is basic itinerary
0-- Depart Hawaii, Hawaiian Air - Honolulu -Fukuoka Read more -
Greetings all
We are back, and I am jotting down a few things quickly while my mind is still fresh.
First off: thanks to the many Japanophiles here on Fodors who infected us with their enthusiasm: hawaiiantraveller, Read more
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