Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, is a Zen Buddhist temple covered in gold leaf that reflects magnificently in the surrounding mirror pond. Originally built as a retirement villa for a shogun, it became a temple after his death in 1408.
The three-story structure represents different architectural styles: the ground floor in aristocratic style, the second in samurai style, and the top in Zen style. The surrounding gardens are a masterpiece of Japanese landscape design.
