Ginkaku-ji Incense (Silver Pavilion
Temple) Ginkaku-ji, the "Temple of the Silver Pavilion," is a Buddhist temple in the Sakyo ward of Kyoto, Japan. The official name is Jish?-ji , "Temple of Shining Mercy"). It was built in 1474 by the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa, who sought to emulate the golden Kinkaku-ji commissioned by his grandfather Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. The Kannon hall is the main building at the temple. It is popularly known as Ginkaku, the Silver Pavilion. There is a popular account: "The intention was to cover it in silver, but due to the increasing severity of the Onin War, which broke out several years earlier in 1467, construction was halted, and the silver covering never placed on the pavilion". However, time-honored trees and great stones which were collected from various places in Japan are used for the temple, thus, cost was spent luxuriously to build the temple. Therefore, it is difficult to consider that only the cost of the silver foil was saved. And, the silver has not been detected at all as for scientific researches done in January 2007. Therefore, the present appearance of the temple is thought as be based on the original intention of Ashikaga Yoshimasa, that is "wabi-sabi". (The information and pic. is from wikipedia.org) Main Ingredients: Sandalwood, Others |