Rodney Campbell's Blog

Kinkaku-ji (金閣寺?, literally “Temple of the Golden Pavilion”), is perhaps the most photographed building in all Japan. It is one of the most popular buildings in Japan, attracting a large number of visitors annually. It is designated as a National Special Historic Site and a National Special Landscape, and it is one of 17 locations making up the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto which are World Heritage Sites.

The Golden Pavilion

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 48 mm, 1/50 sec at f/10, ISO 160

Kinkakuji is a Zen temple in northern Kyoto whose top two floors are completely covered in gold leaf. Formally known as Rokuonji, the temple was the retirement villa of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.

Note: These photographs (especially the wider shots) look much better when larger. To see larger versions in an inline overlay slideshow gallery viewer click any of the images.

Golden

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 45 mm, 1/50 sec at f/10, ISO 100

After viewing Kinkakuji from across the pond, the path leads you around and behind the building and then leads through the temple’s gardens which have retained their original design from Yoshimitsu’s days.

Kinkakuji

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 78 mm, 1/80 sec at f/8, ISO 220

Unlike my first visit here more than thirty five years ago it was of course very crowded. I still remember coming here as a child with my mother. How things have changed. Back then tourism was non-existent. We’d be able to visit all of these same fabulous, amazing temples and other than a few monks walking about we’d be the only souls there. Entry to all of them was also free – unlike today where it’s very commercial.

Still the gardens and buildings are amazing even if you do have to battle the crowds of local and foreign tourists.

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