Ginkakuji, or the Silver Pavillion, was built as the retirement villa of a shogun in the 15th century. This shogun was a descendant of the shogun who built Kinkakuji, or the Golden Pavillion (kit 50049). However, Ginkakuji is a smaller building, and as the power of the shogun was waning when it was constructed, it was never covered in silver leaf as was originally planned. Ginkakuji has also remained intact over the centuries, unlike Kinkakuji which was burned down and restored in the 1950s. Many people prefer Ginkakuji to the flashier Kinkakuji for its simple elegance.

This kit is to the same scale as the Small Kinkakuji kit, making a perfect companion for it. There are only a few parts to this kit, but they are very well done and show the exterior details of Ginkakuji very well.