Pop Japan

Known as the Ginkakuji in Japan, the Silver Pavilion is one of Kyoto Prefecture's finest zen temples. Located in the Higashiyama or eastern mountains, the place was initially constructed to be the retirement villa of shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa in 1482. He was the grandson of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who built the Golden Pavilion in northern Kyoto. Thus the design has been patterned to Yoshimitsu's retirement villa. Upon Yoshimasa's death in 1490, this retirement villa had been transformed into a zen temple.

Ashikaga Yoshimasa was known to be an avid supporter of the Higashiyama Culture, thus his villa was once filled with works from garden design and architecture, noh theater, and poetry among others.

Photo by Moja. Licensed under Creative Commons. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en)

Tags: ginkakuji, japan, silver pavilion, kyoto, zen temple, shogun, ashikaga yoshimasa, ashikaga yoshimitsu, golden pavilion, higashiyama culture, noh theater, poetry, garden design, garden architecture