Such a huge contrast with Tokyo - Kyoto is peaceful, warm and embracing. The city grid is very clear, you always know where you are intuitively because your eyes keep catching silhouettes of the mountains in the distance here and there. And autumn is definitely the best season in this city
Ginkaku-ji (The Silver Pavilion) was built as a retirement villa of shogun Yoshimasa but after his death in 1490 it was converted into a Zen temple. I’ll post more professional photos of the architecture when I get to my laptop, but for now please enjoy the garden with the red leaves. Visiting it in December was definitely a good idea.
Ginkaku-ji [lit. "Temple of the Silver Pavilion"] is just a nickname, the official name of this place is Jisho-ji - "Temple of Shining Mercy". The pavilion was originally built for shogun Yoshimasa to relax in solitude and read books; the library room is oriented is such a way that the reflected moonlight from the pond in front of the building suffices for reading at night. Yoshimasa wanted to cover the facade in silver foil to emulate his grandfather's Golden Pavilion, but the plan got delayed and the Silver Pavilion stays "unfinished" for the past 530 years and therefore unwillingly adheres to "wabi-sabi" ideology.