Detail of a sand garden at the Ginkakuji Temple Kyoto Japan..Ginkaku-ji, known as the "Temple of the Silver Pavilion," is a Buddhist temple in the Sakyo ward of Kyoto, Japan. The official name is Jishi-ji ( "Temple of Shining Mercy"). It was built in 1474 by the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa, who sought to emulate the golden Kinkaku-ji commissioned by his grandfather Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. The temple is part of the Shokoku-ji branch of Rinzai Zen.