en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinkaku-ji
2 corrections found
During the Ōnin war (1467–1477), all of the buildings in the complex aside from the pavilion were burned down.
This overstates the wartime destruction. Official and government-backed sources say the Golden Pavilion was not the only structure to survive the Ōnin War.
Full reasoning
This sentence says every building except the pavilion burned down in the Ōnin War. But the temple’s own official history says otherwise: "Rokuon-ji also suffered damage, but the Golden Pavilion, Stone Fudo Hall, and the Goma Hall, among others, escaped destruction." That directly contradicts the claim that the pavilion was the sole surviving building.
A government-backed Japan Search entry, drawing on National Diet Library and other institutional materials, likewise says "most of the halls were destroyed during the Onin War"—not all of them except the pavilion. Together, these sources show the war caused major damage, but the article’s wording is too absolute and therefore incorrect.
2 sources
- ABOUT | Kinkaku-ji | 臨済宗相国寺派
In addition, many Zen temples, including Shokoku-ji, were destroyed by fire during the Onin War (1467-77). Rokuon-ji also suffered damage, but the Golden Pavilion, Stone Fudo Hall, and the Goma Hall, among others, escaped destruction.
- Kinkaku Temple - Japan Search
Though most of the halls were destroyed during the Onin War (1467-1477), there was progress on reconstruction from the second half of the 16th century.
When these buildings were constructed, Ashikaga Yoshimasa employed the styles used at Kinkaku-ji and even borrowed the names of its second and third floors.
This incorrectly lumps Shōkoku-ji in with Ginkaku-ji. Ginkaku-ji was modeled after Kinkaku-ji, but Shōkoku-ji was founded earlier by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, before Kinkaku-ji existed.
Full reasoning
The sentence refers to plural "these buildings"—the immediately preceding sentence names Ginkaku-ji and Shōkoku-ji—and says Ashikaga Yoshimasa used Kinkaku-ji’s styles when they were constructed. That is chronologically impossible for Shōkoku-ji.
According to Shōkoku-ji’s official history, Shōkoku-ji was begun in 1382 and completed in 1392, under Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. Kinkaku-ji’s official history, by contrast, says Yoshimitsu began the Kitayama palace in 1397 and then had the Golden Pavilion built there. So Shōkoku-ji predates Kinkaku-ji and was not a building whose construction was directed by Yoshimasa using Kinkaku-ji as a model.
The official Ginkaku-ji history does support influence in the other direction for Ginkaku-ji: it explicitly says the Silver Pavilion was modeled after the Golden Pavilion. So the article’s wording is wrong because it extends that relationship to Shōkoku-ji and attributes the construction of both to Ashikaga Yoshimasa.
3 sources
- ABOUT | Shokoku-ji | 臨済宗相国寺派
In September 1382 ... Yoshimitsu ... expressed his wish to build a temple ... Shokoku-ji was finally completed in 1392 and a dedication ceremony was conducted by imperial decree.
- ABOUT | Kinkaku-ji | 臨済宗相国寺派
After taking possession of the dilapidated Saion-ji and Kitayamadai from the Saionji clan, Yoshimitsu began the construction of his new residence, the Kitayama palace, in 1397 ... For the Relics Hall of this complex, he had a golden pavilion built.
- ABOUT | Ginkaku-ji | 臨済宗相国寺派
The Silver Pavilion itself, however, was modeled after the Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku, officially the Relics Hall) of Rokuon-ji (Kinkaku-ji).