Kinkakuji and Kitayama: Space, Place, Monuments and Memory in Japan 1222-1994 (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9789004733039)

This work adopts a typology of intentional monuments, historical monuments, ancient monuments, and timeless monuments to describe how Kinkakuji, the Golden Pavilion, was created, preserved, destroyed, and rebuilt. It reveals how Ashikaga Yoshimitsu built Kinkakuji as a monument to glorify his rule. Later, Kinkakuji became a mortuary temple and historical monument, commemorating the Ashikaga, before becoming an ancient monument that was valued for being old. It then became a National Treasure of Japan. After it was destroyed in 1950, Kinkakuji was built as a timeless monument. In the process, Kinkakuji's reconstruction influenced how UNESCO authorities defined "original" monuments.

Author: Thomas D. Conlan
ISBN-10: 9004733035
ISBN-13: 9789004733039
Publisher: Brill
Language: English
Published: 12/10/2025
Pages: 238
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.61lbs
Size: 10.24h x 7.60w x 0.63d