A 30-second introduction

Kyōko-chi: islands and water beside the Golden Pavilion

鏡湖池

Kyōko-chi is the central pond in the garden of Rokuon-ji, commonly called Kinkaku-ji, in Kyoto. The pavilion stands on its northern side. Water, islands and shore planting form the garden together, beyond the familiar reflected image.

Ashihara-jima in Kyōko-chi. Kinkaku-ji temple guide photograph.

The temple gives the pond’s area as about 6,600 square metres.
Ashihara-jima is one of several islands.
Views change as paths alter the position of the observer.

Water between islands

The pond contains islands of different sizes, including Ashihara-jima, and named rocks such as Hatakeyama-ishi. Open water separates the islands, while planting and rocks define their edges.

A garden seen while moving

Kyoto’s official account describes a pond-stroll garden. As the observer changes position, islands overlap differently and reveal or hide sections of the farther shore. The pavilion stands north of the pond, with water separating it from the viewer. Wind and surface conditions also change the reflected building; a clear mirror image is one possible state of the garden.

Modern grounds guide: A marks Kyōko-chi’s water, B Ashihara-jima, C the Golden Pavilion and D a viewing path beside the pond. E is the separate upper pond, Anmintaku. Letters identify positions in this illustrated guide, not historical survey coordinates.

Several historical settings

The Saionji villa and Kitayama residence

The site previously held Saionji Kintsune’s Kitayama villa. The temple records its inauguration in 1224 and Fujiwara no Teika’s admiration of a pond and waterfall the following year. Yoshimitsu developed his villa here in 1397; it later became Rokuon-ji, with further reorganisation in the early Edo period. The garden’s history therefore involves successive changes rather than an untouched fourteenth-century arrangement.

Temple conversion, conflict and rebuilding

The transition was gradual. Yoshimitsu’s widow Hino Yasuko remained here until her death in 1419; some buildings were then dismantled and transferred to other temples. A Zen temple centred on the reliquary pavilion existed by 1422. The Ōnin–Bunmei conflict of 1467–1477 destroyed many halls. Edo-period rebuilding and additions, including the Sekkatei teahouse, reshaped the setting around the pond. Sekkatei itself burned in early Meiji and was rebuilt in 1894, another change to the landscape through which visitors move.

Building and garden have different dates

The Golden Pavilion burned in 1950 and was reconstructed in 1955. That date identifies the present building rather than the first creation of the pond. The garden has Special Historic Site and Special Place of Scenic Beauty designations, while Rokuon-ji forms part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto World Heritage property. These refer to different scales of preservation.

Check your understanding

Is Kyōko-chi another name for the pavilion?

No. It is the pond; the pavilion stands on its northern side.

Why do views change along the path?

The observer’s position changes the overlap of islands, shore and building.

Was the pond created in 1955?

1955 dates the reconstructed pavilion, not the origin of the pond.

Sources and images