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Comment by yingw787 | Hacker News Reader

If you haven't been already, the Imperial Gardens in Tokyo are very much worth a visit. I don't think I've ever been in an area that just felt so sacred. If mahogany green was ever a thing, that's what the colors of those trees were. And bonsais that were several hundred years old. Personally, I don't even think Kyoto gives the same vibe. It's amazing.

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I agree and three other spectacular locations leap to mind: the Imperial Palace in Kyoto, Kenrokuen in Kanazawa, and the most spectacular of all — Ise Jingū.

Out of curiosity, what other places have you visited that you’re comparing it to?

Taiwan: watching the sun set over Kaohsiung Harbor from this old fort on a mountain. Pretty magical.

South Korea: Climbing Hallasan volcano on Jeju Island. Really neat.

China: Exploring Suzhou/Hangzhou old towns. Suzhou is like the Venice of China.

All these places warrant a trip in and of themselves; but they didn’t feel holy to me if that makes any sense. Imperial Gardens felt different, like one thread of contiguous history, unrent by tragedy and upheaval, touching you on the face.

Thank you. I've not yet been to that part of the world. I've been to the Western Wall, but for me, sadly, it was just a wall.

Well at least you can't accuse them of false advertising. Israel seems like one of those places where it's either a magical place or a complete disappointment. I've heard some say it's the best place they've ever visited and others say it is a complete letdown. I suppose it depends on how religious you are.

I identify strongly as a Jew, but I'm not very religious. I've visited Israel three times and enjoyed every visit. Jerusalem is an amazing city. I just had trouble finding holiness at the Western Wall. I think, for myself, I either need more quiet and solitude, or conversely, to be involved in group prayer. But I don't pray much and I'm not very practiced at it. I'm also an atheist, so prayer for me is a bit hard to explain.

Anyway, for me, the wall itself didn't evoke anything. I think there was just too much commotion with everyone doing mostly their own thing. I did enjoy watching everyone else experiencing the place, though.

If nothing else, there's a few thousand years of history there to see.

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