Kinkaku-ji: Why is it covered in real gold?

Kinkaku-ji, or the Golden Pavilion, is one of Kyoto’s most iconic sights. But did you know the gold leaf covering it is real? The top two floors are coated in pure gold leaf, making the temple shine brilliantly in the sunlight. Originally built in the 14th century as a retirement villa for shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, it was later converted into a Zen temple. But here’s the surprising part: the building you see today is not the original. In 1950, a young monk set the temple on fire in a shocking act of arson. The structure burned down completely. The current pavilion is a reconstruction, completed in 1955. In fact, the amount of gold used in the rebuild was much more than the original! So while Kinkaku-ji may seem timeless, its history includes a fiery twist—and a modern sparkle.