Ginkakuji

Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion) or formally Tozan Jishoji is one of the great Zen Buddhist temples in Kyoto. Unlike it's cousin Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) the plans to give it a glittery metal cover were never realized, however the shape of Ginkakuji resembles the Golden Pavilion and was in fact modeled after it.

Ginkakuji belongs to the Shokoku School of the Rinzai Zen sect of Buddhism. However, Ginkakuji was not originally a temple. Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa (1436-1490) began construction of it in 1460 but war (Onin wars) prevented him from completing it. In fact, it became safe haven for Yoshimasa. Eventually as the war calmed down, the construction could continue. Yoshimasa lived in Ginkaku and followed his father's (Ashikaga Yoshimitsu) footsteps to transform the Ginkaku into a Zen Buddhist temple. During the time he died in 1490 the temple had twelve buildings and a traditionally landscaped garden.

The Walk of Philosophy road (Tetsugaku no michi) connects Ginkakuji to Nanzen-ji temple in Kyoto.

Notice: Currently Ginkakuji is being renovated, and the construction work is scheduled to finish in 2010.

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