It is best known as the Golden Pavilion and it said to be Japan’s most visited site and its beauty, accented by surrounding pine trees and ponds, is remarkable. The Temple of the Golden Pavilion’s history dates to 1397 and it is affiliated with Zen Buddhism. The one you look at today dates to 1955 thanks to a radical Buddhist monk who burned it down in 1950. Despite its relatively recent date, it still draws crowds of the camera-ready Japanese who become frenzied with picture taking. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is however only one of many historic and cultural sites in Kyoto, Japan’s cultural capital. A trip to Kyoto would not be complete without visiting Heian shrine, Kiyomizu-dera, Nijo castle, To-ji, and of course the less spectacular Ginkaku-ji, or the Silver Temple Pavilion. There’s much more too as the city has 17 places designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Most date from between the 10th and 19th centuries. The incidence of many prewar buildings in Kyoto is because the city was largely sparred as a bombing target in WWII.
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