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My second temple visit in Kyoto was Kinkaku-ji, “The Golden Pavilion.” Kinkaku-ji is the informal name of Rukuon-ji Temple, but even the bus stop and tour guides have it marked as Kinkaku-ji.

The pavilion at Kinkaku-ji is covered in actual gold leaf, making it quite a sight. The pavilion was burned down several times in its history, most recently in 1950 by a mentally disturbed monk.

It was getting close to sunset, and the intermittent cloudiness had now turned to dark overcast and a fairly steady drizzle. This, combined with the “no tripods” rule, made photography difficult… but I managed.

Kinkaku-ji was a lot more serene than Kiyomizu.  The pavilion is set in the woods, surrounded by a tranquil pond with small islands decorated with small rocks and trees.  The darkening sky and gentle rain made it a suitably relaxing setting.