Kyoto

This is a city of some 2000 temples and shrines: a city of true masterpieces of religious architecture, such as the splendor of the famed Golden Pavilion and the cavernous expanse of Higashi Hongan-ji. It’s where robed monks shuffle between temple buildings, even as the modern city buzzes and shifts all around the sight of a bright vermillion torii gate are regular reminders that Kyoto remains the spiritual heart of Japan.