# Kinkakuji — WHE Definition Discussion **URL:** \ **Category:** WHE Articles\ **Created:** [May 15, 2019, 8:58am UTC](https://community.worldhistory.org/t/kinkakuji-whe-definition-discussion/2954 "2019-05-15T08:58:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![markzcartwright](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/community.worldhistory.org/markzcartwright/32/35_2.png) [@markzcartwright](https://community.worldhistory.org/u/markzcartwright)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2019, 8:58am UTC](https://community.worldhistory.org/t/kinkakuji-whe-definition-discussion/2954/1 "2019-05-15T08:58:25Z")
Kinkakuji Temple in Kyoto, Japan, more formally referred to as Rokuon-ji or 'Deer Garden Temple' and otherwise known as 'The Temple of the Golden Pavilion', was first built in 1397 CE. Originally the retirement residence of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (r. 1368-1394/5 CE), it was converted into a Rinzai Zen Buddhist temple following Yoshimitsu's death in 1408 CE, a function it still performs today. Kinkakuji was designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1994 CE and is an official National Special Historic Site of Japan and listed as a Special Place of Scenic Beauty. * * * _This is a companion discussion topic for the original content at [https://www.worldhistory.org/Kinkakuji/](https://www.worldhistory.org/Kinkakuji/)._ ---
**Author:** ![markzcartwright](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/community.worldhistory.org/markzcartwright/32/35_2.png) [@markzcartwright](https://community.worldhistory.org/u/markzcartwright)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 9:43pm UTC](https://community.worldhistory.org/t/kinkakuji-whe-definition-discussion/2954/2 "2026-07-28T21:43:12Z")