KYOTO! This was our second most visited city next to Tokyo and it was beautiful and old and full of Temples. This one is Kinkakuji, the Golden Temple, in NW Kyoto. Apparently a monk burnt down the temple in the 1800s and they rebuilt the temple with gold 4 leaves thicker than the original. On sunny days it's nearly blinding, and the reflection in the water is just as magnificent.
The pond surrounding the temple was full of beautiful multicolored Koi, which are everywhere in Japan. In some people's backyards, a koi pond can often be found usually next to a rock garden. 
