Kinkaku-ji 金閣寺 (officially named Rokuon-ji 鹿苑寺, Deer Garden Temple) was originally the family temple of the Saionji 西園寺 clan. In 1397, the third Ashikaga Shogun Yoshimitsu 足利 義満 acquired and expanded it as his retirement villa so as to devote his time to Buddhist meditation. Upon his death in 1408, his son, following to his wish, converted it into a Zen Buddhist temple of the Rinzai school 臨済宗.
The focal point of the temple is the 3-story Golden Pavilion, from which the temple got its nickname. It housed relics of Buddha. The top two stories are covered in pure gold foil. The original building was destroyed by arson in 1950. This replica was built in 1955. The new (1987) gold coating is 0.5 micron thick, making it more shiny than the original as shown in old photos.
In 1994, it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.