Golden Pavilion

Kato Teruhide (1936–2015) produced woodblock prints in the shin-hanga tradition, specializing in meisho-e of Kyoto's celebrated architectural and garden sites. This print depicts Kinkaku-ji (Temple of the Golden Pavilion) reflected in Kyoko-chi (Mirror Pond) in the temple's garden in northwestern Kyoto. The three-story structure—its upper two floors sheathed in gold leaf—is rendered against a background of pine, cedar, and deciduous trees characteristic of the garden's composition. Kato's technique emphasizes carefully graded bokashi in the still water, creating near-perfect mirror symmetry between the pavilion and its inverted reflection. The surrounding tree canopy frames the view while providing seasonal color cues, whether spring green, autumn red, or winter white, consistent with the shin-hanga revival's interest in atmospheric landscape meisho-e.