Kinkaku-ji
Template:Short description Template:About Template:Infobox religious building
Template:Nihongo, officially named Template:Nihongo, is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan and a tourist attraction.<ref name="orientalarch">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It is designated as a World Heritage Site, a National Special Historic Site, a National Special Landscape, and one of the 17 Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.<ref name="kyotoasano02">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The temple is nicknamed after its reliquary (shariden), the Template:Nihongo, whose top two floors are coated in 0.5 μm gold leaf. The current pavilion was rebuilt in 1955 after being destroyed in an arson attack.
HistoryEdit
The site of Kinkaku-ji was originally a villa called Kitayama-dai (北山第), belonging to a powerful statesman, Saionji Kintsune.<ref name="kyotoasano01">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Kinkaku-ji's history dates to 1397, when the villa was purchased from the Saionji family by shōgun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and transformed into the Kinkaku-ji complex.<ref name="kyotoasano01"/> When Yoshimitsu died the building was converted into a Zen temple by his son, according to his wishes.<ref name="fodors1996">Scott, David (1996). Exploring Japan. Fodor's Travel Publications, Inc. Template:ISBN.Template:Page number</ref>
The original Golden Pavilion is believed to have been constructed in 1399.<ref name="早島">早島大祐「室町幕府論」（講談社選書メチエ）</ref> Gold was an important addition to the pavilion because of its underlying meaning. The gold employed was intended to mitigate and purify any pollution or negative thoughts and feelings towards death.<ref name="Gerhart, Karen M 2009">Gerhart, Karen M. The material culture of Death in medieval Japan. N.p.: University of Hawaii Press, 2009. N. pag. Print.Template:Page number</ref> Other than the symbolic meaning behind the gold leaf, the Muromachi period heavily relied on visual excesses.<ref name="Pregil, Philip 1992"/> With the focus on the Golden Pavilion, the way that the structure is mainly covered in that material creates an impression that stands out because of the sunlight reflecting and the effect the reflection creates on the pond.
During the Ōnin war (1467–1477), all of the buildings in the complex aside from the pavilion were burned down.<ref name="kyotoasano01"/>
On 2 July 1950, at 2:30 am, the pavilion was burned down<ref name="whe1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> by a 22-year-old novice monk, Hayashi Yoken (Kinkaku-ji arson incident), who then attempted suicide on the Daimon-ji hill behind the building. He survived, and was subsequently taken into custody. The monk was sentenced to seven years in prison, but was released because of mental illnesses (persecution complex and schizophrenia) on 29 September 1955; he died of tuberculosis in March 1956.<ref>Template:Cite book See: Herostratos syndrome</ref> During the fire, the original statue of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was lost to the flames (now restored). A fictionalized version of these events is at the center of Yukio Mishima's 1956 book The Temple of the Golden Pavilion,<ref name="orientalarch"/> and another in the ballet RAkU.
The present pavilion structure dates from 1955, when it was rebuilt.<ref name="orientalarch"/> The pavilion is three stories high, Template:Convert in height.<ref name="Young, David 2007">Young, David, and Michiko Young. The art of Japanese Architecture. North Claredon, VT: Turtle Publishing, 2007. N. pag. Print.Template:Page number</ref> The reconstruction is said to be a close copy of the original, although some have questioned whether such an extensive gold-leaf coating was used on the original structure. In 1984, it was discovered that the gold leaf on the reconstructed building had peeled off, and from 1986 to 1987, it was replaced with 0.5 μm gold leaf weighing 20 kg, five times the thickness and ten times the weight of the original. <ref>https://crd.ndl.go.jp/reference/entry/index.php?id=1000004492&page=ref_view</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Although Japanese gold leaf has become thinner with the passage of time due to improved technology, the 0.5 μm gold leaf is as thick as traditional Japanese gold leaf.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The interior of the building, including the paintings and Yoshimitsu's statue, were also restored. The roof was restored in 2003.
Design detailsEdit
The Template:Nihongo is a three-story building on the grounds of the Rokuon-ji temple complex.<ref name="dk2000"/> The top two stories of the pavilion are covered with pure gold leaf.<ref name="dk2000"/> The pavilion functions as a shariden (舎利殿), housing relics of the Buddha (Buddha's Ashes). The building was an important model for Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion Temple) and Shōkoku-ji, which are also located in Kyoto.<ref name="orientalarch"/> When these buildings were constructed, Ashikaga Yoshimasa employed the styles used at Kinkaku-ji and even borrowed the names of its second and third floors.<ref name="orientalarch"/>
Architectural designEdit
The pavilion successfully incorporates three distinct styles of architecture, which are shinden, samurai and zen, specifically on each floor.<ref name="Young, David 2007"/> Each floor of the Kinkaku uses a different architectural style.<ref name="orientalarch"/>
The first floor, called The Chamber of Dharma Waters (法水院, Hō-sui-in), is rendered in shinden-zukuri style, reminiscent of the residential style of the 11th century Heian imperial aristocracy.<ref name="orientalarch"/> It is evocative of the Shinden palace style. It is designed as an open space with adjacent verandas and uses natural, unpainted wood and white plaster.<ref name="Young, David 2007"/> This helps to emphasize the surrounding landscape. The walls and fenestration also affect the views from inside the pavilion. Most of the walls are made of shutters that can vary the amount of light and air into the pavilion<ref name="Young, David 2007"/> and change the view by controlling the shutters' heights. The second floor, called The Tower of Sound Waves (潮音洞, Chō-on-dō ),<ref name="orientalarch"/> is built in the style of warrior aristocrats, or buke-zukuri. On this floor, sliding wood doors and latticed windows create a feeling of impermanence. The second floor also contains a Buddha Hall and a shrine dedicated to the goddess of mercy, Kannon.<ref name="Young, David 2007"/> The third floor is built in traditional Chinese chán (Jpn. zen) style, also known as zenshū-butsuden-zukuri. It is called the Cupola of the Ultimate (究竟頂, Kukkyō-chō). The zen typology depicts a more religious ambiance in the pavilion, as was popular during the Muromachi period.<ref name="Young, David 2007"/>
The roof is in a thatched pyramid with shingles.<ref name="Young, David 2005">Young, David, Michiko Young, and Tan Hong. The material culture of Death in medieval Japan. North Claredon, VT: Turtle Publishing, 2005. N. pag. Print.</ref> The building is topped with a bronze hōō (phoenix) ornament.<ref name="dk2000"/> From the outside, viewers can see gold plating added to the upper stories of the pavilion. The gold leaf covering the upper stories hints at what is housed inside: the shrines.<ref name="Gerhart, Karen M 2009"/> The outside is a reflection of the inside. The elements of nature, death, religion, are formed together to create this connection between the pavilion and outside intrusions.
Garden designEdit
The Golden Pavilion is set in a Japanese Template:Nihongo.<ref name="fodors1996"/> The location implements the idea of borrowing of scenery ("shakkei") that integrates the outside and the inside, creating an extension of the views surrounding the pavilion and connecting it with the outside world. The pavilion extends over a pond, called Template:Nihongo, that reflects the building.<ref name="kyotoasano01"/> The pond contains 10 smaller islands.<ref name="Young, David 2007"/> The zen typology is seen through the rock composition; the bridges and plants are arranged in a specific way to represent famous places in Chinese and Japanese literature.<ref name="Young, David 2007"/> Vantage points and focal points were established because of the strategic placement of the pavilion to view the gardens surrounding the pavilion.<ref name="Pregil, Philip 1992"/> A small Template:Nihongo or roofed deck is attached to the rear of the pavilion building, allowing a small boat to be moored under it.<ref name="kyotoasano01"/> The pavilion grounds were built according to descriptions of the Western Paradise of the Buddha Amida, intending to illustrate a harmony between heaven and earth.<ref name="fodors1996"/> The largest islet in the pond represents the Japanese islands.<ref name="kyotoasano01"/> The four stones forming a straight line in the pond near the pavilion are intended to represent sailboats anchored at night, bound for the Isle of Eternal Life in Chinese mythology.<ref name="kyotoasano01"/>
The garden complex is an excellent example of Muromachi period garden design.<ref name="dk2000">Eyewitness Travel Guides: Japan. Dorling Kindersley Publishing (2000). Template:ISBN.</ref> The Muromachi period is considered to be a classical age of Japanese garden design.<ref name="Pregil, Philip 1992">“Pregil, Philip, and Nancy Volkman. Landscapes in History: Design and Planning in the Eastern and Western tradition. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Inc., 1992. N. pag. Print.”.</ref> The correlation between buildings and its settings were greatly emphasized during this period.<ref name="Pregil, Philip 1992"/> It was an artistic way to integrate the structure within the landscape. The garden designs were characterized by a reduction in scale, a more central purpose, and a distinct setting.<ref name="Boults, Elizabeth 2010">Boults, Elizabeth, and Chip Sullivan. Illustrated History of Landscape Design. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons INc., 2010. N. pag. Print.</ref> A minimalistic approach was brought to the garden design by recreating larger landscapes in a smaller scale around a structure.<ref name="Boults, Elizabeth 2010"/>
GalleryEdit
- 1930s Japan Travel Poster - 15.jpg
1930s travel poster
- Kinkaku-ji entrance.jpg
Entrance and ticket booth
- Kinkaku-ji close up.jpg
Kinkaku-ji close up
- Kinkaku-ji 03.jpg
Interior
- Kinkaku-ji garden.jpg
Kinkaku-ji garden
- Golden Pavillion 2010 03 29 32.jpg
The lower pond
- Yōshū Chikanobu Kinkaku haiken.jpg
- Kyoto-Kinkaku-ji-White-Snake.jpg
White Snake Pagoda of Kinkaku-ji
- Kinkaku-ji temple in Kyoto.jpg
Kinkaku-Ji, Kyoto in May 2019
- Kinkakuji Keychain from Japan, from personal collection, photographed by Yogabrata Chakraborty, on May 6, 2023.jpg
Kinkaku-ji keychain
See alsoEdit
- The Temple of the Golden Pavilion by Yukio Mishima, a novel loosely based on the 1950 destruction of Kinkaku-ji
- Buntenkaku in Nagoya, modeled after the Golden Pavilion
- Ginkaku-ji
- Shōkoku-ji
- Chūson-ji with golden Konjiki-dō
- Golden Tea Room
- List of Special Places of Scenic Beauty, Special Historic Sites and Special Natural Monuments
- Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities)
NotesEdit
ReferencesEdit
- Boults, Elizabeth, and Chip Sullivan. Illustrated History of Landscape Design. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2010.
- Gerhart, Karen M. The Material Culture of Death in Medieval Japan. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2009.
- Pregil, Philip, and Nancy Volkman. Landscapes in History: Design and Planning in the Eastern and Western Tradition. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 1992.
- Young, David, and Michiko Young. The Art of Japanese Architecture. North Claredon, VT: Tuttle Publishing, 2007.
- Young, David, Michiko Young, and Tan Hong. Introduction to Japanese Architecture. North Claredon, VT: Periplus, 2005.
Further readingEdit
- Template:Cite book
- Schirokauer, Conrad; Lurie, David; Gay, Suzanne (2005). A Brief History of Japanese Civilization. Wadsworth Publishing. Template:ISBN. OCLC 144227752.
External linksEdit
- Official site of Kinkaku-ji
- Oriental Architecture – Kinkakuji Temple
- Omamori Charms Amulets of Kinkaku-ji Temple
- Template:Osmway
Template:World Heritage Kyoto Template:Buddhist temples in Japan Template:Authority control