While the bustling cities won’t fail to impress those in search of the modern Japanese success story – skyscrapers, bullet trains, and trendy nightlife – beneath the brash modernity beats an ancient heart. This is the realm of the spiritual, where Zen Buddhist monks refine their immaculate gardens and ancient local festivals are celebrated according to the seasons and relate to the well-being of the community.

Today, the two primary religions - Shinto & Buddhism -are so engrained into the everyday lives of the Japanese people, that one can hardly separate them. Spirituality infuses everything from planting the annual rice crop to traditional art forms such as martial arts, tea ceremony and flower arrangement.