Ginkaku-ji Temple (Jisho-ji Temple)

Ginkaku-ji Temple was built by the 8th Shogun of the Muromachi period, Yoshimasa Ashikaga, who built it originally as a mountain villa in Higashiyama. Its construction was based on Kinkaku-ku Temple, built by his grandfather Yoshimitsu. Following his will, Ginkaku-ji became a temple after Yoshimasa died. It is formally known as “Jisho-ji Temple”. Unlike the flashiness of Kinkaku-ji Temple, Ginkaku-ji Temple is representative of the world of wabi-sabi with its quiet elegance. While ”gin” may mean silver, Ginkaku-ji Temple is not coated in silver foil. Its unique rock garden is separated into two levels with the bottom being a circular path around a pond. To the east of the pond sits Ginkaku-ji Temple and Togu-do, which was built in the same year.