Kinkakuji

We're making our way through the "must-sees" of Kyoto, now that we're starting to pack for our return to the States. We've been to the Temple of the Golden Pavilion before, but it's an interesting place to visit in different seasons (we've seen it before when the maple leaves were brilliant red). This temple is interesting for rather unique reasons. It's not particularly old or historic; in fact, the main golden hall was burned to the ground by a (probably deranged) monk in the 1950's. If this interests you, a heavily fictionalized version can be found in Mishima's novel "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion"--a nifty exploration of zen existentialism. The temple is also quite beautiful and is considered to be one of the main symbols of Japan, with the phoenix rising from the ashes on its roof.