Quiz about Kinkaku-ji: tidbits to help you understand the Golden Pavilion

Kochō Wabisuke

The garden of Kinkaku-ji is planted with many kinds of plants, including a type of camellia called “Kocho Wabisuke.” This camellia has a distinctive beauty and plays a role in highlighting the temple’s classical aesthetic. Interestingly, this camellia has no other names and is widely known specifically as “Kocho Wabisuke,” making it a rare variety. When you visit Kinkaku-ji, be sure to look for the blossoms of this beautiful camellia.

can't see

From the Kyoto Tower observation deck, you can take in a panoramic view of the city. While you might imagine being able to look down on all the famous tourist spots from above, Kinkaku-ji unfortunately isn’t visible because it’s surrounded by nearby mountains and buildings. Perhaps to prevent people from being disappointed when they expect to see it but can’t, there’s a “Not visible” label pointing in the direction of Kinkaku-ji on the observation deck.

Saionji

Before Kinkaku-ji was built, a Jōdo sect temple called Saionji stood on the same site. It was owned by the Saionji family, distant relatives of the Fujiwara clan, but it passed into the hands of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who then constructed Kinkaku-ji. Saionji was later relocated to another location.

Yukio Mishima

In 1950, an actual arson incident occurred at Kinkaku-ji, which had a profound impact on Yukio Mishima. Using this as a motif, he wrote the novel The Temple of the Golden Pavilion, which he published in 1956. In this work, Mishima delves deeply into obsession with beauty and the impulse toward destruction, bringing to light the darkness within the human heart.

Approximately 740 million yen

The major restoration of Kinkaku-ji in the Showa era was carried out from 1986 to 1987, and the cost of the work is said to have been about 740 million yen. In addition to renewing the temple’s roof, more than 20,000 sheets of gold leaf were used on the exterior walls of the Golden Pavilion. By reapplying the gold leaf, Kinkaku-ji regained an even more radiant appearance, captivating many people.