Kinkaku-ji
February 12, 2026
The students had class in the morning, and after lunch we took a group excursion to see Kinkaku-ji or the Golden Pavilion. We have visited this site on two other occasions in other seasons. But it does not disappoint. It was just as beautiful as every other time we have come.
This building was originally built in 1397 as a retirement villa for the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. It was later turned into a temple. It has burned down several times, one time by an angry monk in 1950, who said at his trial that his hatred of beauty drove him to do it. This iteration has stood since 1955 and is the first rendition with the gold leaf.
Each of the floors of the pagoda is built in different architectural styles. The bottom floor reflects the Heian period intended to look like a aristocratic palace with its white walls. The second floor represents the samurai warrior class with it's gold leaf and lattice windows. The top floor is built in the Chinese Zen style topped with a phoenix on the roof.
The grounds are always filled with tourists. But it is still possible to keep them out of your photos, except for these two!
We are going to miss the daffodils at home, but these are giants!
Parakeet flower
Flamingo Lily
Prayer Plant
Amazon Lily
Aluminum plant
It's not the Gardens on the Bay in Singapore, but they have an excellent collection of plants from all different climates. It smelled heavenly too.
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