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Why does everyone recommend visiting Kinkakuji in Kyoto? |
Travel Info I've been twice and thought it was so-so and too full of tourists. Ginkakuji has more atmosphere, Kiyomizu-dera is stunning, and the cluster of temples around Nanzen-in are fascinating, and all these are far more accessible than Kinkakuji. Travel Tips It's bright and shiny and some people are easily attracted to bright shiny objects like fish to a fishing lure. On a sunny day when the pond is still, it does look really wonderful particularly its reflection. But I can understand your gripe about crowds. Many just go there because they are told this is a place to go and they show up gawking without a clue what they are looking at. I like both Kinkaku-ji and Ginkaku-ji because they represent the times and personalities of the builders. Kinkaku-ji was built by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu at the height of the Ashikaga Shogunate when Japan was relatively at peace and pursuing new trade relations with China. The showiness and wide-openess of Kinkaku-ji and its garden aptly reflect the opulence of the times and Yoshimitsu. Ginkaku-ji was built just after the Onin War which devastated Kyoto. It's more of a retreat and a place of reflection. Ashikaga Yoshimasa started out like his grandfather but after the Onin War and all his heartache, he became more of an aesthetic. Ginkaku-ji has a more romantic somber feeling to it especially when it rains or there is mist about. So both are worthy of visit if one know more about the history surrounding them. Others I think that it is because of the Golden Temple Pavillion. If your in Kyoto visit the memorial fir Sasaki Sadako to pay respects. I am a 12 year old girl in the u.s with pakistani parents and am muslim, but I LOVE Japan!!!!!!!! It is up to the person. Kinkakuji is one of the temples in UNESCO's list of world heritage, it has long history and symbolic meaning in the whole Japanese culture. It is bad that people go and see anything without knowing how this site is related to the history and culture in Japan.It is pity that the embodiment of eternal beauty, which is Kinkakuji for me, has turned into a postcard background. When I saw Kinkakuji for the first time, I was astonished. The day was gloomy and cold, and I was tired, and all the crowd...And above them Kinkakuji, shining in its own inner light, reaching for those who can see it, as if a deity from another dimension peering through the clouds. Maybe because it's difficult to find a golden temple anywhere else? ^.* I totally agree w you, but Princess K also has a good point. I have only been to Kinkakuji once, though I have been to Kyoto several times. I have always wanted to see it in the snow. On a sunny day it's a little much for me, though. Are the grounds open at night? If you could see it at night that would also be cool. In Alex Kerr's "Lost Japan" he remarks that most people nowadays find goldleafed screens gaudy--the reason being that we all have electricity now. But when these screens were first made, they were intended to reflect candlelight. You know how dark these old Japanese houses must have been . . . It gave me a new appreciation for gold screens! My point is, perhaps Kinkakuji is actually most impressive at night--many temples actually are. |
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