Kinkaku-ji

Kyoto's most iconic landmark: the gold-leafed Zen temple Kinkaku-ji from 1397, perfectly mirrored in its garden pond — UNESCO World Heritage.

Kinkaku-ji, formally known as Rokuon-ji, is one of Japan's most famous Buddhist temples and arguably Kyoto's most iconic image. The three-storey pavilion, with its upper two floors clad in gold leaf, reflects perfectly in the still pond before it — a sight that has captivated pilgrims, poets and travellers alike for centuries. Originally built in 1397 as the retirement villa of Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the complex was converted into a Zen temple after his death. The current structure is a 1955 reconstruction, after a monk burned the original pavilion in 1950 — an act immortalised in a novel by Yukio Mishima. The temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, part of the historic monuments of ancient Kyoto.