Ginkaku-ji 銀閣寺
Kyoto, Japan UNESCO World Heritage Site
Ginkaku-ji is a Buddhist temple and Japanese garden in the Sakyō-ku district of Kyoto. Established in 1465, the site covers about 0.06 km2 in the Higashiyama mountain range. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a National Treasure of Japan, and a Special Place of Scenic Beauty. The temple belongs to the Shōkoku-ji school, is dedicated to Shakyamuni Tathāgata, and is part of the Shinbutsu Reijō Junpai no Michi. It is the 63rd most looked-up sight in Japan on English Wikipedia.
Planning a visit
The site is 361 km from Tokyo and 43 km from Osaka Itami International Airport. August is a warm month to visit, with a high of 31 °C and a low of 23 °C, while January is the coldest, with a high of 7 °C and a low of -1 °C. June and July are the wettest months, with about 198 mm and 199 mm of rain.
Nearby attractions include Shimogamo Shrine (2.7 km), Yasaka Shrine (3.1 km), Kyoto Imperial Palace (3.3 km), Kiyomizu-dera (3.7 km), and Nijō Castle (4.8 km). Admission is ¥500. The temple is open from 08:30 to 17:00 from March to November, and from 09:00 to 16:30 from December to March.
Weather by month
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 31 °C. The wettest is July, with about 199 mm of rain.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high, °C | 7 | 8 | 12 | 18 | 22 | 26 | 29 | 31 | 27 | 21 | 15 | 10 |
| Average low, °C | -1 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 13 | 17 | 22 | 23 | 19 | 13 | 7 | 2 |
| Rainfall, mm | 63 | 75 | 111 | 110 | 151 | 198 | 199 | 116 | 166 | 118 | 76 | 58 |
| Rainy days | 16 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 12 | 17 |
Temperatures and rainfall: 1981–2010 averages for this spot (4 km grid), from CHELSA. Rainy days: 2015–2024, NASA POWER.
