Tranquility Pond
(Anmintaku)

Tranquility Pond (Anmintaku, also known as Ushitaku and Bôuntaku) is a small pool surrounded by trees, giving the sense of great depth. Because it never dried up, even during droughts, the pond was also used as a spot at which to pray for rain. In the center is a small island with a five-element stupa known as the White Snake Mound (Hakuja no Tsuka), thought to have been a tutelary shrine of the Saionji family. This suggests that the pond dates back to at least the Kamakura period (1185-1333), at which time the Saionji clan owned Kinkaku-ji's land.