Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the eighth Muromachi shogun, began to build a mountain villa called Higashiyamadono at the foot of the Higashiyama mountains in Kyoto from 1482. It became Jishōji temple (commonly known as Ginkakuji) after Yoshimasa's death. The present garden of the temple derives from a large scale rennovation conducted in the early Edo period (seventeenth century), with only the areas around the fountain named Sengetsusen, and the well Ochanoi, keeping their original design from the time the garden was first established. The area spread with white pebbles, called Ginsadan, and a cone-shaped pile of sand called Kōgetsudai, are designs dating from the mid-Edo period or later. Among its buildings, only Ginkaku (Silver Pavilion) keeps its original design and position. This garden is designated a national special scenic spot, and is inscribed on the World Heritage List as one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. It is located in Sakyō ward, Kyoto.
Japanese Garden Dictionary: A Glossary for Japanese Gardens and Their History
(C) 2010 by Ono Kenkichi and Walter Edwards. All rights reserved.
