Ginkakuji Temple Kyoto and a meeting on the bus

Ginkakuji Temple – Kyoto

Another day another Zen Buddhist Temple.  Today we traveled to the far northeast quadrant of the city to visit the Ginkakuji Temple.  This beautiful structure and grounds was constructed by another shogun named Yoshimasa, who is the grandson of the shogun who constructed the Golden Pavilion.  This one was constructed in 1482 and is a world cultural heritage site.  This temple has grounds that go high into the hills so when you climb to the top of the garden you have a sweeping view of the whole city.  Very breathtaking.  Yoshimasa spent most of his life constructing this beautiful place.

One of the interesting things from an architectural standpoint is that in this structure and many others we’ve seen one building combines several different styles.  In this one, which is two stories the first level is done in the style of a Japanese home of that period and the second floor is totally different and is done in the style of a Chinese temple.  The Golden Pavilion, which is three stories has each done in a different architectural style also.  I think this mishmash style would not be popular today. 

We took the bus to the site and walked the last several blocks to the temple.  This was great fun as the way was lined with cute shops, restaurants and stands selling all kinds of goods.  As it was Sunday there were a great many people around visiting and shopping.  Many young Japanese couples seemed to find it a romantic way to spend the day. 

Also along the temple grounds is a path that follows a canal.  The path is called the Philosopher’s Walk as a famour Japanese philosopher used to walk along the route.  It’s lined with cherry trees and is supposed to be particularly beautiful in the spring when the blossoms are out.  But it was pretty nice when we walked it.

On the bus on the way home I met a lovely woman from Malaysia who invited us to visit her there.  Turns out she has a daughter who is married to an American and lives in the US.  She was in Kyoto for an economic meeting her husband was attending.  We had several “small world” moments and I enjoyed chatting with her.