Nanzenji Temple

Kyoto, Japan

Visit the 13th Century Nanzenji temple. 

As with most zen gardens, the azalea bushes, well-kempt white gravel and vibrant islands of moss are best contemplated from a distance; the garden's original name was Toranoko-watashi, "young tigers crossing the water," and if you squint at the stones in a certain way, they do take on the humped forms of animals leaping across the waves.