Kyoto, Japan

Persistence and patience pay off at Fushimi Inari, as well, as does a willingness to go to the very top of the mountain to escape the crowds that tend to congregate at the bottom. As you near the summit, especially on a rainy day, the place takes on an almost supernatural quality, the vermillion gates contrasting with the grey stone and mossy greens on either side of the path. This is animist Japan at its most mystical, one of the few places that feels truly ancient in this otherwise modern city.