The most astounding thing about the Far East, as I experienced it in Japan, is that it is a busy place with people and cars everywhere you look, but still, it is impossibly quiet and calm at the same time. There is hardly any shouting on the sidewalks and beeping on the streets. Even cyclists won’t beep when passing by closely but will somewhat slow down. There is an essential sense of courtesy and carefulness in play here that can seem very foreign to a Westerner. Of course, the culture is closely linked to the religions of the region, mainly Buddhism and Shintoism in Japan. So, the feeling of quietness and serenity can be best understood in and around religious temples and shrines, which also tend to be beautiful.