Ginkakuji Temple

Ginkaku-ji (lit. "Temple of the Silver Pavilion") was donated and became a Zen temple in 1490 after the death of its former owner Ashikaga Yoshimasa who planed on building a retirement villa and gardens for himself in 1460. Yoshimasa's first intention for the two-storied Kannon-den (Kannon hall), which became the main temple structure, was to cover its exterior in silver foil. However it was never realized due to the Ōnin War. This "unfinished" look visualizes one of the aspects of "wabi-sabi" a Japanese worldview or aesthetic concentrating on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. Its aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent and incomplete". It is amazing that ever since I got involved with the Japanese culture I started to embrace more and more aspects of its worldview, its values and its beauty. One being that you have to accept three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished and nothing is perfect. At this time I would also like to add this Zen quote that Oda Nobunaga liked as well and may put the Zen philosophy best. I will try to translate, since I know only the German version.

Fünfzig Jahre eines Lebens

Sind ein verschwindender Moment

im Strom der Zeit

Und dennoch Wirklichkeit

Deswegen werfe ich mein ganzes Leben

In jeden vorbeifliegenden Augenblick

Fifty years of one's life

are a fading instant

in the stream of time

and yet reality

for this reason I throw my whole life

in every passing moment

Once a year this Kanji 大 dai (one of five) is ignited. It means big

Here Franziska and Toshi met for the first time in 2005 

The main attraction of Maruyama Park is a 60
year old cherry tree, which becomes lit up at night

Sakamoto Ryōma (left) was a Japanese Samurai and a prominent figure in the movement to overthrow the Tokugawa 

shogunate that reigned Japan for over 200 years during its isolation from the world. He was attacked and murdered

at an inn in Kyoto before his vision of an open Japan came true.

These two probably dressed up as a Geisha and
her lover and took pictures of each other