Kyoto
Perhaps the most famous of Kyoto's 1,200 or so temples and shrines is this one, the so-called Golden Shrine - or, to give it its proper name, the Kinkaku-ji Temple. It was built by the third Ashikaga shogun, Yoshimitsu (1358-1408), who became a priest after abdicating. It was originally his retirement villa and became a temple after his death. The original three storey gilded pavilion was destroyed in an arson attack in 1950; what can be seen today is an exact replica. Although it looks peaceful in this photograph, the temple grounds resembled a termite mound on the day I went there, so great were the visitor numbers.
Kyoto
Perhaps the most famous of Kyoto's 1,200 or so temples and shrines is this one, the so-called Golden Shrine - or, to give it its proper name, the Kinkaku-ji Temple. It was built by the third Ashikaga shogun, Yoshimitsu (1358-1408), who became a priest after abdicating. It was originally his retirement villa and became a temple after his death. The original three storey gilded pavilion was destroyed in an arson attack in 1950; what can be seen today is an exact replica. Although it looks peaceful in this photograph, the temple grounds resembled a termite mound on the day I went there, so great were the visitor numbers.