Osaka: Shinsekai

To most, Osaka is almost synonymous to blinding neon signs and mouth-watering street food. But there's more of those than what you'll find in the famous Dotonbori. So before I share with you everything about that tourist magnet, let me first take you to Shinsekai.

Kyoto: Kiyomizu-dera & Gion

Also located in Japan's Kansai region, Kyoto is just approximately fifteen minutes from Osaka via the famous shinkansen (bullet train). Exploring the city puts you right in the heart of Japan-- or at least one of its chambers, as it was also once Japan's capital. It beats not erratically, but rather steadily. The song of coursing waters, brushing trees, and from a distance, the ringing bells, all become the soft thump, thump, thump.