The story of how a monk fanatic set fire to the Golden pavilion of Kinkaku-JI temple, formed the basis of the novel "the Golden temple" Japanese writer Yukio Mishima. It happened in 1950, the pavilion and all its treasures were burned. Before the Church was also burned down twice during the Onin war in 1467-1477. Since 1955 began the restoration of this historic-cultural monument by drawings and paintings, was able to restore even the fittings and painting. Restoration of the building was finally completed only in 2003.

Of kinkaku-JI temple is one of the Buddhist temples in the complex Rokuon-JI temple (in Japanese – "the Temple of the deer Park") in the area of the whale. It was built in the late XIV century as a country house of a retired shogun of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. The pavilion building is indeed covered, with the exception of the first floor, with sheets of pure gold. During the last restoration they were replaced with thicker ones. Top gold covered with a special lacquer urushi. The temple is located on an island in Mirror lake Kakoti. Golden pavilion is a symbol of Kyoto and continues to serve as the object of worship.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who gave his position to his son, built a residence on the territory of an abandoned monastery and named it "the Palace of Kitayama". Its chief ornament was a three-story pavilion covered in gold leaf. The first floor was named Hall of purification, in its center is placed a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha and a statue of the owner of the Palace. The second floor was living quarters and was called the Cave of mercy. His walls are decorated with rich paintings. Third floor resembled a Zen temple, which housed the relics of Shakyamuni Buddha, and was called the Top of the Void. There were religious ceremonies.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu bequeathed after his death to turn the Palace into a monastery, this wish was fulfilled. The monastery became known as Rokuon-JI temple in memory of the first sermon of the Buddha Shakyamuni in the deer woods. About a hundred years later the grandson of Yoshimitsu decided to build in the mountains of Higashiyama, the Silver pavilion, which had to be made of silver, but the building remained wooden.

Pavilion of Kinkaku-JI temple is a world heritage site by UNESCO.