Ginkaku-ji Temple, widely known as the Silver Pavilion, is officially named Jisho-ji Temple. It was originally built as a mountain retreat called Higashiyama-dono by Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the eighth shogun of the Muromachi shogunate, after he handed over his position to his son.
Yoshimasa devoted his retirement to the refined pursuits of Japanese culture, including painting, calligraphy, and the tea ceremony. Construction of Higashiyama-dono began in 1482. After Yoshimasa’s death, the estate was converted into a Zen Buddhist temple and renamed Jisho-ji.
The Silver Pavilion, officially known as Kannonden, is designated a National Treasure of Japan. The temple gardens are designated both a Special Historic Site and a Special Place of Scenic Beauty. Jisho-ji is also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.
Along with Kinkaku-ji’s Golden Pavilion and the Hōun-kaku Pavilion at Nishi Hongan-ji Temple, Ginkaku-ji is counted among Kyoto’s three famous pavilions.
The Higashiyama-dono estate took approximately eight years to develop, beginning in 1482. In its heyday, it included numerous large buildings, such as reception halls and residential quarters. Today, only two structures from that period remain: the Silver Pavilion and Togudo Hall.
The Silver Pavilion is a two-story wooden structure with an elegant design. Like the Golden Pavilion at Kinkaku-ji, it features a phoenix ornament on its roof. However, historical records indicate that a sacred jewel ornament stood there until around the latter half of the 18th century.
The name “Silver Pavilion” came into use during the Edo period or later. Unlike the Golden Pavilion, which is covered in gold leaf, the Silver Pavilion has never been covered in silver leaf, and no evidence of such a coating has been found.
One distinctive architectural feature is the second-floor windows, known as katomado. These Buddhist-style windows have curved frames that widen toward the bottom, creating a graceful silhouette.
Togudo Hall was built as a private Buddhist worship hall where Ashikaga Yoshimasa could pray before his personal Buddhist image. It is one of the two surviving buildings from the original Higashiyama-dono estate.
The Buddhist altar room houses a standing statue of Amida Nyorai, the Buddha of Infinite Light and Life. The sliding doors in this room originally featured a painting known as the *Ten Monks*, attributed to Kano Masanobu. The doors are now covered with plain white paper.
The temple’s garden is centered on Kinkyo-chi Pond and is designed as a stroll garden, allowing visitors to appreciate changing views as they walk around the grounds. The garden is designated a Special Historic Site and a Special Place of Scenic Beauty by the Japanese government.
The garden is said to have been inspired by the celebrated moss garden of Saiho-ji Temple, also known as Kokedera, or the Moss Temple. However, renovations during the Edo period significantly altered the original landscape, so much of its initial appearance has been lost.
Two striking features of the garden are its carefully shaped mounds of white sand:
These distinctive sand formations are among the temple’s most recognizable sights. Their present shapes are believed to date from the late Edo period rather than the original construction of the garden.
From the main gate, rebuilt in 1800, a roughly 50-meter approach leads toward the garden. The path is enclosed by traditional bamboo fences known as the Ginkaku-ji-gaki, creating a quiet and distinctive entrance to the temple grounds.
The temple’s main hall, known as the Hojo, was rebuilt in 1624. Its interior contains sliding-door paintings attributed to the celebrated artists Yosa Buson and Ike no Taiga.
A viewpoint within the grounds offers a broad view over the temple complex. Take time to appreciate the harmonious combination of historic architecture, carefully arranged sand formations, ponds, and lush greenery.
Ginkaku-ji is an excellent place to experience the understated elegance of traditional Japanese aesthetics, where natural materials, subtle details, and carefully composed landscapes create a sense of calm and refinement.
March - November 8:30-17:00
December - February: 9:00 - 16:30
Open all year round
Admission fee
Adults (high school students and older): 500 yen
Elementary/junior high school students: 300 yen
There is a municipal parking lot on the side, but there is a possibility of not being able to park due to the limited number of spaces.
How to get there
30 minutes by city bus from JR Kyoto Station
Get off at “Ginkakuji-michi” bus stop.