Ginkakuji, the Silver Pavilion, is a Zen temple at the foot of Kyoto's Higashiyama ("eastern mountains"). The temple is formally known as Tozan Jishoji.
In 1482, shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa built his retirement villa on the grounds of today's temple. A few years later, the Silver Pavilion, modeled after Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion), was constructed. Plans to cover the pavilion in silver were never realized. The villa was converted into a Zen temple after Yoshimasa's death in 1490." - Japan-Guide