The golden glow of the Kinkaku-ji Temple comes from actual gold leaves plated on the exterior walls of its upper levels. My heart leapt as I saw it luminesce in glory and grace.

The Kinkaku-ji Temple is a ten-minute bus ride from the Ryoan-ji Temple. The admissions fee for the Kinkaku-ji is JPY ¥500.

The History of Kinkaku-ji Temple

Meaning “the golden pavilion,” the Kinkaku-ji Temple came from the year 1397, as originally the villa of the powerful statesman Saionji Kintsune. In this year, the Ashikaga shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu purchased this estate from the Saionji family. The Kinkaku-ji was constructed in the year 1399 by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. In accordance with his wish, his son converted it into a Zen temple.

This original temple had always been covered in gold leaves. There are two interpretations as to why the shogun plated gold leaves on his temple. The obvious intention was that gold satisfied the visual excesses that typified the Muromachi (Ashikaga) period. Secondly, at the time gold also represented purity, as such it was the material that would mitigate pollution, negativity, and the effects of death.

Like so many of Japan’s treasured heritage buildings, Kinkaku-ji Temple suffered from fire destruction. During the Onin War, all of the buildings in the estate were burned down, but Kinkaku-ji was spared. Unfortunately, in 1950, a monk committed arson, resulting in the complete destruction of the Kinkaku-ji Temple, the golden pavilion itself. The current Kinkaku-ji Temple was rebuilt in 1955.

To prevent confusion, the Kinkaku-ji Temple has an official name of Rokuon-ji, meaning “deer garden temple.” Needless to say, it acquired the common name of Kinkaku-ji because of its golden pavilion.

A Tour of the Kinkaku-ji Temple

All of the touring at the Kinkaku-ji Temple are done outdoors. As far as I could remember, there was no entry into the temple itself. I arrived at the time it opened, a little after 9am. Once I entered the garden, I proceeded in a very long queue that took up all of the touring route. There are many opportunities for taking photographs at different viewing points, however, so there is really no need to fight with other tourists over viewing spots.

As with all other temples, the red foliage of this season presented a warmth so visible that it reached one’s soul. The visibility of the gold leaves on the top two floors was astounding. The pond beneath mirrored the shimmer of the gold, and this was very much the intention of the architecture. The temple was built in a raised foundation, to enable the reflection in the pond.

As amongst the group of temples in the complex, the Kinkaku-ji Temple serves the purpose as the shariden, which is the place of housing the relics of the Buddha. This is the reason why the Kinkaku-ji was not open for visits. It is not actually a site for meditation or worship.

The three floors of the pavilion each adopted a different style of architecture, namely, shinden in the first, samurai in the second, and zen in the third. Being off bounds to tourists, the second floor houses the goddess of mercy, Kannon. The third floor houses shrines and is specifically religious in nature as adopting the zen style of building, incorporating certain Chinese influence in the design.

Needless to say, in the many centuries that transpired between the temple’s reconstructions, certain features disappeared and some others were added. But there was effort to maintain the philosophical foundations that manifested in the building’s architecture, namely, a keen intention to create harmony with the temple’s surrounding environ. In that sense the Kinkaku-ji Temple remains timelessly authentic — even as a 20^th century reconstruction — as a representative of Japanese architecture. Both the material and spiritual elements are one with the landscape.

No, the Kinkaku-ji Temple is certainly not the only example of a holistic fusion between a religious site and its surroundings. But when the gentle sun rays illuminate the temple in a late-autumn morning, the view was truly, uniquely breathtaking.

Naturally, all tourists will be drawn to the views of the Golden Pavilion, and everyone was absorbed in its golden glimmer. Yet there is a time when the tourist route (around the garden) would offer only so much in terms of varieties in views. You are essentially staring at the same building for as long as a half hour. Therefore be sure to admire the garden space as well.

Sources

The Wikipedia on Kinkaku-ji at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinkaku-ji

Engineers & Architects of America, Kinkaku-ji, Kyoto, Japan: The Golden Pavilion in Detail, at https://www.e-a-a.com/kinkaku-ji-kyoto-japan/

The very last sightseeing on my first day in Arashiyama was the Nonomiya Shrine.

The Nonomiya-jinja Shrine is a Shinto shrine. Because of its nature as a native faith in Japan, it differs quite significantly from the elaborate temples of Arashiyama, both in terms of its history and its ambience. Yet, as a Shinto shrine, the Nonomiya-jinja Shrine had a very specific and unique role in imperial history as well.

The Nonomiya Shrine comes from the Heian period. It served as the venue of a religious practice in antiquity, “successive imperial princesses stayed in the Nonomiya Shrine for a year or more to purify themselves before becoming representatives of the imperial family at the Ise Shrine in Mie prefecture.” (Wikipedia on Nonomiya Shrine). These imperial priestesses were called Saigu. At the time of founding, the Nonomiya Shrine served Princess Ninshi, a daughter of Emperor Saga, who served as Saigu from 809 to 903 A.D. at Ise Jingu, which was the most important shrine in the country.

As Saigu, the princess carried out rituals and offerings, and I assume that meant she was the religious ambassador to pray on behalf of her country.

In classic 11^th century Japanese literature, the Tale of Genji, which is said by some to be the world’s first novel, has a chapter set in the Nomomiya Shrine. The plot involves the love story between Prince Genji and Lady Rokujo. Lady Rokujo accompanied her daughter to the shrine for purification rites, and as she met her lover Prince Genji here, they bid farewell by the moonlight in this beautiful setting amidst the bamboo woods in Arashiyama.

Perhaps it is due to this history that the shrine is now where the faithful seek intercession for love and fertility. The female-oriented heritage of the shrine is very much alive today. Modern processions recreate a scene as shown in a scroll of the imperial court during the Heian period. This procession begins at the Nonomiya-jinja Shrine and ends at the Togetsu-kyo Bridge.

As to the touring, I learned that there were other types of specific prayers at the sub shrines at Nonomiya-jinja. If I read the kanji correctly, a shrine offers fortunes in wealth and safety in travels as well.

The torii gates here were the first ones that I saw in my life. In this trip, I did not have the opportunity to see the Fushimi Inari-taisa. This would be my only view of the gateways that typify Japanese religion and culture on this trip.

Sources

The Wikipedia on Nonomiya Shrine.

Discover Kyoto on Nonomiya Jinja.

After touring the Okochi-Sanso Villa, I made my way to the Jojakko-ji Temple, also in the vicinity.

In terms of natural environ, the Jojakko-ji Temple brings to the large selection of temple visits in Arashiyama another kind of aura. The red foliage at Jojakko-ji Temple is fused in one with its temple structures. The warm colors of the foliage hover over the minimalistic temple architecture. In Jojakko-ji Temple I experienced the variations of light, and it felt spiritual there. I certainly felt the warmth of apricity the in late morning. As I ascended on a higher point in the temple, the cool mists from Mount Ogura seemed to have descended upon me. Jojakko-ji Temple unveiled the full contours of its charm, and I was spellbound.

A Brief History of the Jojakko-ji Temple

Roughly meaning the “everlasting light of wisdom when nearing nirvana” in Japanese (livejapan.com), the Jojakko-ji Temple was founded in 1596, at a time when Japan was mired in civil wars and right at the dawn of the Edo period. The temple is of the Nichiren School of Japanese Buddhism. Based on the teachings of the Lotus Sutra, the Buddhist priest Nichiren developed this school of Buddhism during the Kamakura period in the 13^th century. Nichiren Buddhism was thought to be one of the “six new schools” of Kamakura Buddhism that emerged in this time.

Arose in a time of civil strife in Japan, Nichiren Buddhism advocated for a practical application of the Lotus Sutra in one’s individual life, including both meditation and actions, to eventually benefit the society at large. As a priest, Nichiren argued against the other popular schools of Buddhism that proposed competing views about the doctrinal teachings of the Lotus Sutra. In fact, he was very much against Zen Buddhism, which was a preeminent school of practice in Arashiyama (for more, see my previous entry on the Tenryu-ji Temple).

A Tour at the Jojakko-ji Temple

There are four main structures in the Jojakko-ji Temple. From the ground up, you would go through the Niomon Gate first, then Hondo to your right, Myoken-do to your left, and Tahoto at an even higher vantage point. Wonderful seasonal trees lined up all over the temple grounds and clothe Jojakko-ji in the velvety flush of autumn colors. Although there were a lot of foot traffic at this time of the year, one will not miss the serenity that percolates in this temple.

Niomon Gate

The thatched roofed, simple structure indicates the way to enter into the light of wisdom at Jojakko-ji Temple. The Niomon Gate is a 14^th century structure that is also the oldest in the temple. As I approached the Niomon Gate, I began to sense the spirit of more than 200 Japanese maple trees, winging their magic touch on a beautiful autumn day.

The Hondo (Main Hall)

The Hondo was built in the Keicho era (1596-1615), its original was the guest hall at the Momoyama-joh (Fushimi) Castle in Kyoto. The hall was moved to this temple and converted into the Hondo.

The Myoken-Do Hall

Myoken-do is a hall dedicated to the Bodhisattva of the North Star. It is believed to bless followers with a longevity.

The Tahoto Pagoda

On an elevated point beyond the temple grounds stands the Tahoto Pagoda. This pagoda was built at a much later time, in the 17^th century, but in the style of the spectacular Momoyama style of a century earlier.

Although it was an incredibly peaceful walk at the Jojakko-ji Temple, I spent only about an hour there and moved right along to the next sightseeing, the Nison-in Temple.

Sources

Kaipai! on Jojakko-ji.

The Wikipedia on Nichiren Buddhism.

www.japan.travel, Jojakko-ji Temple.

livejapan.com, Jojakko-ji Temple: Experiencing Sensational Kyoto Fall Foliage at a Magical Garden.

Descriptions on site at the Jojakko-ji Temple.