Back to Kyoto

Traditional Japanese temple pavilion beside a cone-shaped sand mound in a raked gravel Zen garden with moss, trees, and visitors at Ginkaku-ji Kyoto

Ginkaku-ji Silver Pavilion Temple and Kogetsudai Sand Mound in Zen Garden, Kyoto, Japan

The iconic Kogetsudai sand cone and raked gravel garden foreground the two-story Ginkaku-ji Silver Pavilion temple in Higashiyama, Kyoto, Japan.

Read more about this photo

The Silver Pavilion's Quiet Majesty

Built in 1482 as a retirement villa for Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa, Ginkaku-ji stands as a masterpiece of Muromachi-period architecture and Zen Buddhist aesthetics.

The meticulously raked white gravel patterns surrounding the Kogetsudai sand cone represent flowing water, embodying the Zen principle of finding tranquility in simplicity.

Spot a mistake or location error? Let us know!

Tags

Buddhist temple Eastern philosophy Ginkaku-ji Higashiyama Japan travel 2026 Japanese culture Japanese garden Japanese garden design Japanese temple Kogetsudai Kyoto Kyoto temples Silver Pavilion UNESCO World Heritage Japan

Photos from the day

Download & License

Editorial $39.00

Digital only: blogs, websites, social media, education & editorial publishing.

Standard Commercial $99.00

Worldwide marketing, corporate, advertising & print up to 500,000 copies.

Extended License $249.00

Unlimited print runs, merchandise, products for resale, TV & broadcast.

Comp license

Free

Image Information

Photo ID

1710181452

Capture Date

October 2017

Original Size

Photographer

Daniel Sczepansky

Location

Kyoto , Japan

Main Colors

Projection

Mercator

Horizontal FOV

233.0°

Vertical FOV

90.3°

Source Images

35

Lens

Standard

Categories