Kinkaku-ji (金閣寺?, literally "Temple of the Golden Pavilion"), officially named Rokuon-ji (鹿苑寺?, literally "Deer Garden Temple"), is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan.[2] It is one of the most popular buildings in Japan, attracting a large number of visitors annually.[3] It is designated as a National Special Historic Site and a National Special Landscape, and it is one of 17 locations making up the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto which are World Heritage Sites.[4]