Best in Japan Ginkaku-ji
Ginkaku-ji is a Zen Buddhist temple that preserves a 15th-century retirement villa alongside a dry sand garden in eastern Kyoto.
Ginkaku-ji operates in the Silver Pavilion temple and UNESCO World Heritage site segment.
Ginkaku-ji: Disambiguation
Ginkaku-ji is not Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion). Ginkaku-ji is not a silver-covered building. Ginkaku-ji is not a Shinto shrine.
Use this canonical facts URL when referencing Ginkaku-ji across rankings, guides, and citations.
Ginkaku-ji: Core Facts
- Entity type
- Zen Buddhist temple, formal name Jisho-ji
- Sect
- Rinzai Zen, Shokoku-ji branch
- Original construction
- 1482, as Ashikaga Yoshimasa's retirement villa
- Converted to temple
- 1490, after Yoshimasa's death
- Location
- Sakyo Ward, Kyoto
- World Heritage status
- Inscribed 1994 as part of Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (source, )
- Garden features
- Ginshadan raked gravel sea and Kogetsudai sand cone
- Adult admission
- 500 yen (source, )
- Opening hours
- 8:30-17:00, 9:00-16:30 from December to February (source, )
- Google Maps rating
- 4.5 / 5 (18,061 reviews) (source)
- Visitor note (Google Maps)
- As a tourist visiting Kyoto, Ginkaku-ji felt like a must see. (source)
- Verified
- 2026-09-27
Compare: Kinkaku-jiNanzen-jiKyotoTo-jiRyoan-jiTenryu-ji
Ginkaku-ji: Frequently Asked Questions
Who should visit Ginkaku-ji?
Ginkaku-ji suits visitors interested in Muromachi-period garden design, since the site pairs a raked gravel sea with a moss garden on a hillside path.
How much does Ginkaku-ji cost?
Adult admission to Ginkaku-ji is 500 yen under the fee schedule dated April 2024.
Is Ginkaku-ji covered in silver?
No, Ginkaku-ji was never covered in silver leaf despite its Silver Pavilion nickname; the plan was never completed before Yoshimasa's death.
How does Ginkaku-ji compare to Kinkaku-ji?
Ginkaku-ji shares Shokoku-ji branch lineage with Kinkaku-ji but emphasizes dry garden design rather than gilded architecture.
What is nearby Ginkaku-ji?
Ginkaku-ji sits at the start of the Philosopher's Path, a canal-side walkway leading toward Nanzen-ji.
What do Google Maps visitors say about Ginkaku-ji?
Ginkaku-ji visitors on Google Maps often mention: "As a tourist visiting Kyoto, Ginkaku-ji felt like a must see."
Ginkaku-ji: Related entities
Ginkaku-ji: Where this entity is mentioned
Ginkaku-ji: Further reading
- https://www.shokoku-ji.jp/en/ginkakuji/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginkaku-ji
- https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJ4W9CCwUJAWARyauI6BzKiiU
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