Ninety seconds on Kinkaku-ji
Two storeys of gold leaf stand over a still pond and lie doubled in it, and on the four or five days a year when snow settles on the roof, it is the sight of Kyoto you will remember longest.
Following the path in from the main gate brings you to the edge of Kyoko-chi pond, and the view across it is the one on every postcard: two upper storeys in gold leaf, a gilt phoenix on the roof, the whole pavilion repeated in the water.
You cannot go inside. The ground floor is plain wood and white plaster, and its sliding doors are usually open, so look closely and you can make out the statues within from across the pond.
The path then passes behind the pavilion and climbs through the gardens, past Anmintaku pond, said never to dry up, and small stone statues to throw a coin at for luck. It ends at the Sekkatei teahouse. Outside the exit, a small tea garden serves matcha and sweets.
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