Destruction and Reconstruction

In 1550, toward the end of the Muromachi shogunate, a battle took place between Miyoshi Chôkei (also Nagayoshi, 1522-64) and the fifteenth Ashikaga shogun Yoshiteru (1536-65) in the vicinity of Jishô-ji. With the exception of the Silver Pavilion and Tôgudô, all the buildings on the grounds were destroyed by fire. In addition, when Oda Nobunaga (1534-82) built Nijô Castle for Yoshiteru he removed the famous stones Kuzan Hakkaiseki ("Stones of the Nine Mountains and Eight Seas) from the garden at Jishô-ji. The temple fell into a dilapidated state as the Muromachi shogunate declined. In 1615, at the beginning of the Edo period (1615-1868), Miyagi Tamba no Kami Toyomori carried out a large-scale restoration of the temple, creating in large part the present Ginkaku-ji. Though it was originally built as a residence for the shogun, the buildings and gardens were redesigned in a style suitable for a Zen temple with this restoration.