35mm Slide JP015 1962, Garden and Pond at Gold Pavilion, Kyoto Japan

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35mm Slide JP015 1962, Garden and Pond at Gold Pavilion, Kyoto Japan:
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Kinkaku-ji(金閣寺?, literally \"Temple of the Golden Pavilion\"), officially namedRokuon-ji(鹿苑寺?, literally \"Deer Garden Temple\"), is aZenBuddhist templeinKyoto,Japan.[2]It is one of the most popular buildings in Japan, attracting a large number of visitors annually.[3]It is designated as a National Special Historic Site and a National Special Landscape, and it is one of 17 locations making up theHistoric Monuments of Ancient Kyotowhich areWorld Heritage Sites.[4]

History[edit]

The site of Kinkaku-ji was originally a villa calledKitayama-dai(北山第), belonging to a powerful statesman,Saionji Kintsune.[5]Kinkaku-ji\'s history dates to 1397, when the villa was purchased from the Saionji family byShogunAshikaga Yoshimitsu, and transformed into the Kinkaku-ji complex.[5]When Yoshimitsu died, the building was converted into aZentemple by his son, according to his wishes.[3][6]

During theOnin war(1467–1477), all of the buildings in the complex aside from the pavilion were burned down.[5]

On July 2, 1950, at 2:30 am, the pavilion was burned down by a 22-year-old novice monk, Hayashi Yoken, who then attempted suicide on the Daimon-ji hill behind the building. He survived, and was subsequently taken into custody. The monk was sentenced to seven years in prison, but was released because of mental illnesses (persecution complexandschizophrenia) on September 29, 1955; he died oftuberculosisin March, 1956.[7]During the fire, the original statue of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was lost to the flames (now restored). A fictionalized version of these events is at the center ofYukio Mishima\'s 1956 bookThe Temple of the Golden Pavilion.[2]

The present pavilion structure dates from 1955, when it was rebuilt.[2]The pavilion is three stories high, approximately 12.5 meters in height.[8]The reconstruction is said to be a copy close to the original, although some doubt such an extensive gold-leaf coating was used on the original structure.[3]In 1984, the coating of Japanese lacquer was found a little decayed, and a new coating as well as gilding with gold-leaf, much thicker than the original coatings (0.5µminstead of 0.1µm), was completed in 1987. Additionally, the interior of the building, including the paintings and Yoshimitsu\'s statue, were also restored. Finally, the roof was restored in 2003. The name Kinkaku is derived from the gold leaf that the pavilion is covered in. Gold was an important addition to the pavilion because of its underlying meaning. The gold employed was to mitigate and purify any pollution or negative thoughts and feelings towards death.[9]Other than the symbolic meaning behind the gold leaf, the Muromachi period heavily relied on visual excesses.[10]With the focus on the Golden Pavilion, how the structure is mainly covered in that material, creates an impression that stands out because of the sunlight reflecting and the effect the reflection creates on the pond.

Design details[edit]

The Golden Pavilion(金閣Kinkaku?)is a three-story building on the grounds of the Rokuon-ji temple complex.[11]The top two stories of the pavilion are covered with puregold leaf.[11]The pavilion functions as ashariden(舎利殿), housing relics of theBuddha(Buddha\'s Ashes). The building was an important model forGinkaku-ji(Silver Pavilion Temple), andShōkoku-ji, which are also located in Kyoto.[2]When these buildings were constructed,Ashikaga Yoshimasaemployed the styles used at Kinkaku-ji and even borrowed the names of its second and third floors.[2]

Architectural design[edit]

The pavilion successfully incorporates three distinct styles of architecture which are shinden, samurai, and zen, specifically on each floor.[8]Each floor of the Kinkaku uses a different architectural style.[2]

The first floor, calledThe Chamber of Dharma Waters(法水院, Hou-sui-in), is rendered inshinden-zukuristyle, reminiscent of the residential style of the 11th centuryHeianimperial aristocracy.[2]It is evocative of the Shinden palace style. It is designed as an open space with adjacent verandas and uses natural, unpainted wood and white plaster.[8]This helps to emphasize the surrounding landscape. The walls and fenestration also affect the views from inside the pavilion. Most of the walls are made of shutters that can vary the amount of light and air into the pavilion[8]and change the view by controlling the shutters\' heights. The second floor, calledThe Tower of Sound Waves(潮音洞, Chou-on-dou ),[2]is built in the style of warrior aristocrats, orbuke-zukuri. On this floor, sliding wood doors and latticed windows create a feeling of impermanence. The second floor also contains a Buddha Hall and a shrine dedicated to the goddess of mercy, Kannon.[8]The third floor is built in traditionalChinesechán(Jpn.zen) style, also known aszenshū-butsuden-zukuri. It is called theCupola of the Ultimate(究竟頂, Kukkyou-chou). The zen typology depicts a more religious ambiance in the pavilion, as was popular during the Muromachi period.[8]

The roof is in a thatched pyramid with shingles.[12]The building is topped with a bronzephoenix(phoenix) ornament.[11]From the outside, viewers can see gold plating added to the upper stories of the pavilion. The gold leaf covering the upper stories hints at what is housed inside: the shrines.[9]The outside is a reflection of the inside. The elements of nature, death, religion, are formed together to create this connection between the pavilion and outside intrusions.

Garden design[edit]

The Golden Pavilion is set in a magnificent Japanese strolling lit. a landscape garden in the go-round style).[6]The location implements the idea ofborrowing of scenery (\"shakkei\")that integrates the outside and the inside, creating an extension of the views surrounding the pavilion and connecting it with the outside world. The pavilion extends over a pond, calledKyōko-chi(鏡湖池Mirror Pond?), that reflects the building.[5]The pond contains 10 smaller islands.[8]The zen typology is seen through the rock composition, the bridges, and plants are arranged in a specific way to represent famous places in Chinese and Japanese literature.[8]Vantage points and focal points were established because of the strategic placement of the pavilion to view the gardens surrounding the pavilion.[10]A small fishing deck(釣殿tsuri-dono?)is attached to the rear of the pavilion building, allowing a small boat to be moored under it.[5]The pavilion grounds were built according to descriptions of theWestern Paradise of the Buddha Amida, intending to illustrate a harmony between heaven and earth.[6]The largestisletin the pond represents the Japanese islands.[5]The four stones forming a straight line in the pond near the pavilion are intended to represent sailboats anchored at night, bound for theIsle of Eternal Lifein Chinese mythology.[5]

The garden complex is an excellent example ofMuromachi periodgarden design.[11]The Muromachi period is considered to be a classical age of Japanese garden design.[10]The correlation between buildings and its settings were greatly emphasized during this period.[10]It was a way to integrate the structure within the landscape in an artistic way. The garden designs were characterized by a reduction in scale, a more central purpose, and a distinct setting.[13]A minimalistic approach was brought to the garden design, by recreating larger landscapes in a smaller scale around a structure.

Eastern Asia. Located in thePacific Ocean, it lies off the Eastern coast of the Asia Mainland (east ofChina,Korea,Russia) and stretching from theSea of Okhotskin the north to the East China Sea and nearTaiwanin the southwest.

Thekanjithat make upJapan\'s namemean \"sun origin\". 日 reads asniornichimeans sun and 本 reads ashon,ponorpponmeans based or origin. By thekanjiwhich make up the Japan\'s name, Japan is often called with the famous ephitet as the \"Land of the Rising Sun\".

Japan is astratovolcanicarchipelagoand consisting about6,852 islands. The four largest areHonshu,Hokkaido,KyushuandShikoku, which make up about ninety-seven percent of Japan\'s land area and oftenly referred as home islands. The country is divided into 47prefecturesin eightregions.Hokkaidobeings the northernnmost prefecture andOkinawabeings the southernmost one. The population of 127million is theworld\'s tenth largest.Japanese peoplemake up 98.5% of Japan\'s total population. Approximately 9.1 million people live in the core city ofTokyo,[17]thecapital of Japan.

Archaeological research indicates that Japan was inhabited as early as theUpper Paleolithicperiod. The first written mention of Japan is inChinese historytexts from the 1st century AD. Influence from other regions, mainlyChina, followed by periods of isolation, particularly from Western Europe, has characterizedJapan\'s history. From the 12th century until 1868, Japan was ruled by successive feudal militaryshogunswho ruled in the name of theEmperor.

Japan entered into a long period of isolation in the early 17th century, which was ended in 1853 when a United States fleetpressured Japanto open to the West. After nearly two decades of internal conflict and insurrection, the Imperial Courtregainedits political power in 1868 through the help of several clans fromChōshūandSatsuma, and theEmpire of Japanwas established. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, victories in theFirst Sino-Japanese War, theRusso-Japanese WarandWorld War Iallowed Japan to expand its empire during a period of increasingmilitarism.

TheSecond Sino-Japanese Warof 1937 expanded into part ofWorld War IIin 1941, which came to anend in 1945following theatomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasakiand thesurrender. Since adopting its revisedconstitutionon May 3, 1947 in theoccupiedby theSCAP, Japan has maintained aunitaryparliamentaryconstitutional monarchywith anEmperorand an elected legislature called theNational Diet.

Japan is a member of theUN, theOECD, theG7, theG8, and theG20and is considered agreat power.[18][19][20]The country has the world\'s third-largesteconomy by nominal GDPand the world\'s fourth-largesteconomy by purchasing power parity. It is also the world\'sfourth-largest exporterandfourth-largest importer. The country benefits from a highly skilled workforce and is among the most highly educated countries in the world with one of the highest percentages of its citizens holding a tertiary education degree.[21]

Although Japan has officiallyrenounced its right to declare war, it maintains amodern militarywith the world\'seighth largest military budget,[22]used forself-defenseandpeacekeepingroles. Japan is adeveloped countrywith a very high standard of living andHuman Development Indexwhose population enjoys thehighest life expectancyand the third lowestinfant mortalityin the world.[23][24]

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