Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion), Kyoto

This pavilion was part of retirement villa created in the fifteenth century by the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa. The villa became a center of the Higashiyama Culture, which had significant influence throughout Japan. Many art forms, such as the tea ceremony, Noh theater, garden design and architecture, were created and refined as part of this cultural movement.

According to his wishes, Ginkaku-ji became a Zen temple upon Yoshimasa’s death. The design is modeled after the Kinkaku-ji, or Golden Pavilion, built by his grandfather, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. It was originally intended to be clad in a thin layer of silver foil, but Yoshimasa died before that was accomplished, and the building was left in its “unfinished” state. Included on the immaculately restored property are a beautiful Japanese garden, a sand garden and several additional buildings. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.

Japan Guide: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3907.html
Yamasa Japan Travel Guide: http://www.yamasa.org/japan/english/destinations/kyoto/ginkakuji.html
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginkaku-ji