金閣寺

About this photo

This photo shows the pond and the Golden Pavilion at Kinkakuji in Kita Ward, Kyoto. It appears in Kyoto Meishocho (Album of Famous Places in Kyoto), published by the Kyoto City Council in 1907 (Meiji 40). It shows the Golden Pavilion as it was before it burned down in 1950.

Kinkakuji is a popular name. The temple's formal name is Rokuonji. From 1894, to earn income for the temple, it opened its garden and the Golden Pavilion to the public and began charging admission. This album came out 13 years later. The Sekkatei teahouse burned in the early Meiji era and was rebuilt in 1874.

North of the abbot's quarters (hojo), the "Land Boat Pine" (Rikushu no Matsu), said to have been planted by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu himself, still spreads its branches and is counted among the Three Great Pines of Kyoto. The pond holds islands such as Ashiwara Island, Crane Island, and Turtle Island, and many named stones, such as the Hatakeyama Stone and the Hosokawa Stone, are set in it.

Glossary