Ginkaku-ji

Ginkaku-ji, also known as the Temple of the Silver Pavilion, is a beautiful temple set in stunning grounds at the foot of Kyoto's eastern mountains. The temple's grounds are an outstanding example of Japanese landscape architecture, with a unique sand garden featuring a 2-meter silver cone. The temple was originally designed as a retirement villa for the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa and was modeled on its sister temple, Kinkaku-ji. Although it was intended to be covered in silver foil, this was never realized, and the temple remains unpainted to this day. The temple complex includes a tea ceremony room and a freshwater stream, and its gardens are particularly famous for their beautiful mosses. Visitors can enjoy the temple's serene atmosphere and admire its refined aesthetic, which exemplifies the Japanese concept of 'wabi-sabi' - the beauty of imperfection