Japan: Ginkakuji--The Silver Pavilion

From Kiyomizu-dera, we walked Kyoto for a bit, then took a bus to Ginkakuji, otherwise known as the Silver Pavilion.  Ginkakuji was built in 1482 as a retirement villa after the model of the Golden Pavilion.  It was converted into a zen temple in 1490.


As the retirement villa of an art obsessed shogun, Ginkakuji became a center of contemporary culture, known as the Higashiyama Culture in contrast to the Kitayama Culture of his grandfather's times. Unlike the Kitayama Culture, which remained limited to the aristocratic circles of Kyoto, the Higashiyama Culture had a broad impact on the entire country. The arts developed and refined during the time include the tea ceremony, flower arrangement, noh theater, poetry, garden design and architecture.
Today, Ginkakuji consists of the Silver Pavilion, half a dozen other temple buildings, a beautiful moss garden and a unique dry sand garden. It is enjoyed by walking along a circular route around its grounds, from which the gardens and buildings can be viewed.

Vending machines like this can be found everywhere, even in the most remote, random places

Ironic name for a park

 Ginkakuji:

 

Many of the trees are so ancient that their limbs have started to droop.  To help protect the tree, and take weight off the limbs, they have given the trees a "helping hand"