The author looked for inspiration for his novel in an incident of arson at the Kinkaku-ji Temple and described the 'I', Yoken HAYASHI, as one obsessed by the beauty of the Rokuon-ji Temple.
金閣寺放火事件に材を求め、鹿苑寺の美にとりつかれた「私」こと林養賢を描く。