Melting at Kinkakuji

A sight epitomical of the cultural capital of Japan, Kinkakuji is a must visit for anybody looking to get a taste of Kyoto. Previously owned by a shogunate who used it as a retirement villa, the gold leaf covered structure was converted into a temple after he passed away. Later on, the sister temple Ginkakuji (the silver pavilion) was built, modeled after Kinkakuji.

With such a stunning view, it's no wonder it's so popular. And with popularity comes the crowds, so expect hoards of tourists and students any time past 10:30am on any given day. My first time at Kinkakuji in 2012, we arrived at a reasonable time of 10am. Tourists have already started to gather, but it was bearable.

As for my most recent visit? We arrived closer to 11:30am. It's a mistake I won't make again.

On top of the humid spring weather, squeezing through the walkways sandwiched between students and other sweaty tourists was unpleasant. It took away from the atmosphere a bit because there was a sense of rush to get through the walkway and escape the crowd. If I stopped to take pictures, I felt like I was blocking people and slowing the flow.

Follow the signs:

The first time I was here, I tossed a 10 yen coin into the small black bowl of the first try. Might've been the coolest moment of my trip. I'm pretty sure I was wishing for a passing grade in my study abroad program. This time around, I tried 5 times and none of them made it. Sadness.

Walkway around the pond. The typical spot where people stop to take pictures. There's about a hundred people behind me also trying to take pictures. Quite the contrast to the tranquil view in front of us:

Visitors are allowed to walk around 3 sides of Kinkakuji, but no one is allowed to enter the actual building. The pathway will take you through other various gardens and a mini waterfall, before arriving at the souvenir shops area.

Golden Phoenix sits atop Kinkakuji: