I spent a good few minutes trying to think of a pithy introduction for this post. I failed.
And that pretty much sums up the sort of reaction seeing this national treasure for the first time can evoke in a person.
Don’t talk. Just look.
For a World Heritage Site, the entrance is rather nondescript.
The outbuildings, though beautifully designed and admirably proportioned, aren’t much different from those in other temple compounds.
But then one turns a corner – and there it is, in all of its jaw-dropping splendour. No photograph can adequately recreate the experience (and I’ve seen many that are far, far better than mine); you’ll have to stand right there on the edge of the lake to know what it’s really like to gaze upon this vision of indescribable beauty.
There is a fine stroll garden built into the hillside above the lake . . .
. . . but it’s well nigh impossible to tear one’s eyes away from the splendid golden pavilion that peeks through the trees.
Filed under: Japan, Kyoto, Travel | Tagged: Kinkaku-ji
Ah yes, one of the oldest paradise gardens in Japan
Thank you for the photos 
Wonderful gardens, yes. A real delight to stroll around, except for the hordes of other tourists trampling all over the place at the same time.