The famed travel writer Pico Iyer shares an excursion into Koyasan, a spiritual town in central Japan. An essay like this urges the importance of travel for the sake of personal transformation only designed to happen during in-person experiences.

The path of least resistance is embracing virtual reality and technological marvels without moving an inch from one’s home. Auto-generative AI will solve a lot of problems while creating many more from the convenience of our devices. However, the new technologies won’t replace the in-person pilgrimages involving prayer, spiritual reflection, or breaking bread for something beyond human transactional interests. For some, this means Hajj, a visit to Israel, or Varanasi. For others like Pico Iyer and many Japanese, it’s seeking refuge in Koyasan: Link

This is another destination I’ve added to my to-do list.