Featured Photo: Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion), Kyoto

One of Kyoto’s most famous sights is Kinkaku-ji, more commonly known to foreigners as the Golden Pavilion. Originally built as a retirement villa for Yoshimitsu, the third Ashikaga shogun (1358-1408). After his death, the pavilion was converted into a Zen temple. In 1950 a young monk/university student set fire to the temple and burned it to the ground.  Rebuilt five years later, Kinkaku-ji is completely covered in gold leaf and set on the banks of a pond in a lovely park that looks much as it did during the days of the shogun. I took the photo below in March 2007, on a day when the cloud cover reduced glare and made for a stunning reflection.