The Republic of Singapore is an island nation and city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. It is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to the north, and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the Straits of Singapore to the south.

Turkey is a transcontinental country. Turkey's Asian region covers 97 percent of the country, separated from Europe by the Bosporus Strait, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles Strait.

Even as the modern city buzzes and shifts all around, a waft of burning incense, or the sight of a bright vermillion torii gate marking a shrine entrance, are regular reminders that Kyoto remains the spiritual heart of Japan.