Destination: Hosoi Mura Part 1

You like the cherry blossoms in springtime, you like tea ceremonies, you like the friendly smile of a maiko, you like to eat with sticks, you like the traditional japanese culture in all its foreignness for us western living people, then you have to visit "Hosoi Mura" on the Kitely Grid.

Amiryu Hosoi created, and still is creating, a beauty spot of japanese landscape on 16 regions in the Open Virtual Worlds.

First, before I will start my review about "Hosoi Mura", I have to apologize if I may write something in a way which does not explain it right. I am not that familiar with Japanese culture and tradition. So I will write it down, as I see it.

And second before I will start, I want to quote a part of Amiryu Hosoi's explanation of the "Hosoi Mura" profile, stated on the Kitely showcase page:
'Hosoi Ichiba is the designer and manufacturer of traditional Japanese themed buildings, building components, prefabs, furniture, antiques and lifestyle products. Hosoi Ichiba offers a complete range of Japanese style products to create, build and design Japanese Edo period scenery, environment, country side or town.
Hosoi Mura - Edo Honshu Japan is a “life” showcase of our complete product line and can be experienced in Kitely. Hosoi Ichiba products are sold on both Second Life Marketplace and Kitely Marketplace.
Hosoi Mura - Edo Honshu Japan is also the home of a massive Edo Period Role play area that is currently under construction.'

I arrived on a dirt road and looking to the South I could see many segments of rice fields with a little farmer's village in the back, still under construction. So decided to follow the road to the North towards a bigger building complex surrounded by a wall.

After a road crossing a wooden bridge, crossing a small canal, leads into the complex. At this point I talk about a complex, not knowing what will awaits me behind the walls.

Behind the bridge a straight cobblestone road leads to a road crossing in the center of the complex, flanked by cherry blossom trees, with a slight fall of blossom leaves.

Bamboo ladders to both sides of the massive gate building give a climb to the upper part of the gate.

A pavilion building to my left does not reveal its purpose to me. With the stands to the sidesof it, it might be a stage for something ?

The tower building to my left can be reached on the road when turning to the left at the crossing about 10 meters away.

Coming closer to the building it turned out to be a building belonging to the wall, surrounding the complex. The open door gave me way in and wooden stairs brought me on the upper level. There it happens that I ended up in a maze of walkways, stairs and rooms

It is to keep notice. that the texturing of the rooms and gangways and all the other parts of the house are amazing. A very fine work.

After a while I found the way back out and entered a little house adjacent to this tower. The house is a single room building with two entrances on the length sides.

Leaving the room to the other exit I stood in front of ..... well I do not know but maybe some small arena for a fighting sport ?

Passing another single room house I walked towards another gate on the east side of the complex. The gate is still massive but not as big as the one on the southern side.

A square area, surrounded by another wall, keeps a typical Zen Garden with its pattern forked sand ground and arranged plant and stone areas.

The last building in the complex is a bigger single room house. And this time the complex revealed its secrets. It seemed that I have been in a japanese sports complex. Because this building was a dojo. For the explanation let me cite Wikipedia:
'A dojo (道場 dōjō?) is a Japanese term which literally means "place of the way". Initially, dōjōs were adjunct to temples. The term can refer to a formal training place for any of the Japanese do arts[which?] but typically it is considered the formal gathering place for students of any Japanese martial arts style such as karate, judo, or samurai, to conduct training, examinations and other related encounters.

The concept of a dōjō only referring to a training place specifically for Asian martial arts is a Western concept; in Japan, any physical training facility, including professional wrestling schools, may be called dōjō because of its close martial arts roots.'

After this visit, I left the complex through the eastern gate on my way to the next discovery of "Hosoi Mura". And what I will see there, you can read in the next part about this well build region.

Soreja mata



Destination:
Kitely Grid Region Hosoi Mura
grid.kitely.com:8002:hosoi mura