Golden Temple Shines Anew

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:21 JST, December 30, 2020

KYOTO — The famous Kinkakuji temple, a World Heritage site in Kyoto, was unveiled Tuesday following the completion of work to replace the gleaming roof over the Kinkaku shariden hall for the first time in 18 years.

The work started in September, and about 100,000 wood shingles of Sawara cypress were replaced.

Additionally, about 10,000 10-square-centimeter gold leaves were used to repair the statue of a bird that adorns the rooftop and sections under the eaves, giving the structure’s golden image a fresh look.

“We would like people to come and see the new temple once the coronavirus abates,” said Shinichi Maeda, 64, the head official at Kinkakuji.