A taste of Asia in Second Life

I'm not big on "exploring the world" blog posts (there are others who do that far better) but today is an exception. I just love the build so much and think it deserves a quick visit. It's a small shopping district called Virtual Asia (with a bunch of other keywords thrown in(like Tokyo, Japan, Singapore, Jakarta, etc. -- I'm sure to help search.) But really the flavor is mostly a gritty, run-down Tokyo.  Maanaf, the developer/owner/builder, has really captured the look quite well.

To get in the mood, I put on a cute little kawaii / cosplay Japanese outfit from BareRose and posed in front of a closed shop. Set for sunset, the feel is total urban grundge.

 

Next a view of the shops along one of the main streets. Most of the stores are fashion-oriented but there are also a couple of places to play games.

 

And another view along the street (see "Bread Talk" at the end?)

 

And finally a small urban park. Those big cone-like signs actually rotate. Very cool looking.

Keep in mind it's a small, compact build located on a sky platform. Unfortunately because there is residential on the ground, setting up local windlight for the build is not an option since it would be much better set to a sort of permanent sunset or twilight look.

Here's the SLURL to Virtual Asia -- http://slurl.com/secondlife/MaxStudio/178/150/4001

Let me know what you think!