Hosoi Ichiba - Japanese Buildings, Japanese Furniture & Lifestyle

Celebrate New Years in Hosoi!

2012-01-07T06:25:00.002+01:00

Japanese New Year or shōgatsu is a time of great renewal and celebration. Every year, the Japanese celebrate in many ways: by closing up shop, spending time with their loved ones and of course giving thanks to the special people who had guided them the year before. The image of the Rising sun represents the start of something new, something more spectacular then the day before. As we watched the sun rise on January 1st, we know this is yet another year for better beginnings.
Even though the day itself has past, Yume No Ukihashi invites you to celebrate the entrance of the new year with 2 large performances. So please leave out your decorative kadomatsu, the joy of the new year is not over yet!

What?
The Rising Sun performance by Geiko Mizuko and
When Dragons Ruled the Skies performance by Sr. Maiko Toshimaru (In celebration of the coming year of the dragon).

When?
The Rising Sun: Jan. 7th at 1pm SLT
Dragons: Jan. 8th at 1pm SLT

Where?
Rising: In the Kabuki Theater
Dragons:The Rice fields of Japan Chubu

Why?
To invite the year of the dragon and to show pride in Nippon's glorious sun.

We hope you can make it Ookini san dosu!! Otano Moshimasu!

Grand Opening Harusaki Onsen

2011-12-16T15:33:00.004+01:00

My dear friends, I have some good news for you. Our Samurai clan has asked me to create them a place for relaxation and socializing especially after battle and training sessions. I have put their request aside for a while because I was a little bit busy with other projects and because I couln't decide how such a place should look like.

I came to the conclusion that what the Samurai and the rest of our community was lacking is a traditional Japanese Onsen. An Onsen is a term for hot springs in the Japanese language, though the term is often used to describe the bathing facilities and inns around the hot springs. As a volcanically active country, Japan has thousands of onsen scattered along its length and breadth. Onsen were traditionally used as public bathing places.

I have found a nice natural Hot Spring in the South West corner of Japan Chubu and commissioned our workers to build our community an Onsen. As from today I am very happy and honored to announce we now have our own Onsen called The Harusaki Onsen.

At the Harusaki Onsen all guests are expected to wash their bodies and rinse themselves thoroughly before entering the hot water. Entering the Onsen while still dirty or with traces of soap on the body is unacceptable.

Bathers are not allowed to wear swimsuits in the baths. Therefore we have Fundoshi and Geta for all visitors to pick up at no charge. Please take a moment to also pick up the Harusaki Onsen Rules from one of the signs around the compound and make sure to not feed the monkeys.

The Harusaki Onsen can be found on the South West corner of Japan Chubu to the West of the open air arena.

I would like to invite all residents and visitors to come over and enjoy our new addition. Sake and Sushi will be provided.

Ami

An opening of a new Okiya, A new generation

2011-11-14T01:04:00.006+01:00

"Yume No Ukihashi,
the floating bridge of dreams.
Dream of a foreign world:
of elegance,
of beauty,
of art.
Come for the experience:
the creativity,
the tradition,
leave with the yearning for more.
We are the revolution of Second Life Geisha!
We have the passion to pursue what is really important:
our gei.
We are the artists of a new generation of the digital flower and willow world...
we are Yume No Ukihashi."

As time passes, change is inevitable even in a world based on the preservation of tradition. Above is the new slogan for Hosoi's newest Okiya and performing group, Yume No Ukihashi or the floating bridge of dreams. This Okiya is in the same location as Nakanoshima, but with a few updates for a new aesthetic. As stated in an okiya I had ran previously, we follow rules but are not set to them, we are based off of tradition yet we stretch it, and we strive for excellence while never losing sisterhood. On this new adventure, I hope to maintain this ideal. I have a belief that gei or art, is the most important aspect to becoming a successful Geisha. Therefore, while Yume No Ukihashi is here to teach others about the traditional Geisha culture and expand upon what guests may already know about Japan, as an entertainer I feel it is our job to offer a range of creative performances to fit all guest's fascinations (tastefully). This is not to say our performances are not based on or not are heavily woven with Japanese tradition, as they will be and always have been. All and all, when visiting Yume No Ukihashi, keep an open mind about art and also an open ear for all of the information we will be sure to teach you along the way. We hope you will come visit us soon, as we will always bring you on a adventure you have yet to have taken!

Ookini san dosu, Otano moshimasu!

If you would like to join our group, please just search Yume No Ukihashi Ochaya in groups or you can click our subscription board at the front entrance to the Okiya.

Maturity and regulation changes for the Hosoi sims

2011-09-29T02:45:00.000+02:00

My dear friends,

I have been struggling for some time about what our sims should be and who they should appeal to. I think I have been a little bit to much focused on protecting groups and people. I also learned people are very capable in protecting themselves and their communities. Your communities.

As from today all sims will be upgraded or some people will say downgraded to moderate. So, all people will be a little bit more free in how to act and play their game. This does not mean we will allow nudity or sexual stuff.

Another change willl be the following. I always tried to keep fighting and chasing stricktly to Japan Chubu area. Not anymore. From now on all sims can be used for roleplay, fighting and chasing. The only thing I ask is to please try to dress and act to fit in with the scenery and timezone. Further, please, when people do not like or appreciate your rpg, dont ignore them but avoid them. We are all grownup people and you don't need someone to guide you around.

The sims are yours! Please have a lot of fun!

Ami

The fight against Thieves and Linden Labs

2011-08-03T10:31:00.009+02:00

What do we get when we become successful in Second Life... Well, let me tell you. You will get fans, followers, happy customers and lots of great feedback. What you also will get is the burdon of people stealing your work and undermining your business. Unpayed and illegal copies of our work show up all over Second Life and what is worse, you can bet those copies will also show up in Open Sim environments. All the thieves have to do is create a new account and transfer the items to that "clean" account to continue their devastating scheme.

The people that steal are not only taking for free what is not theirs, they also ruin our business. Ruining our business means we will no longer be able to keep our business up and running and in the end we will need to close down all together.

This is not the first time our products got hacked. There have been countless occasions and on almost every occasion we send DMCA's to Linden Labs. Linden Labs however does nothing about it. In most cases they reply with a standard, "we could not find any proof…" It is Linden Labs duty to protect their customers from hackers but they fail tremendously.

These days I find stolen items almost every week and I decided to take action. I am working on forcing Linden Labs to take action by law. It is not in my intentions to harm Linden Labs but Linden Labs does harm me, my busines, my fellow creators and their own world!

I am looking for serious Dutch creators that got copybotted and neglected by Linden Labs to form a group. I want to take on Linden Labs for their lack of responsibility. Please contact me inworld if you are willing to support our fight for intellectual rights.

Thank you for your feedback,

Ami

.

The History of the Hosoi Empire

2011-05-17T05:00:00.001+02:00

The Hosoi Ichiba sim group is the home of a history-based role play region. The role play areas includes the town Hosoi Mura which is separated from the Matsumoto Castle by the great Hosoi Ichiba Marketplace. The region is known as The Hosoi Empire and it's history is a blend of Japanese history, Hosoi's role play culture and a large dose of fiction and fantasy. Here is the history that is known, but perhaps in the future new facts will be uncovered that will shed light on unanswered questions.

The History of the Hosoi Empire

Present day Hosoi revolves around life during the first decade of Japan's Edo period (~1610), somewhere in that twilight between turmoil and stability.

The Shogun & His Castle
The entire region has been controlled for a long period by the Keibatsu samurai clan and it's powerful shogun, all of whom reside in the magnificent Matsumoto Castle on the Chubu plain. The shogun has repelled many attempts to bring his empire down, but has remained in control. Recently, he has consolidated his power with his formidable army and many spies.

The Hosoi Empire is a land of great wealth, but there are many unresolved feuds and conflicts inside and outside the stated. Keibatsu warriors train and hold tournaments to demonstrate their power. It is the power of the samurai that keep the Empire safe, trade flowing and commerce robust. However, even this great force is limited by distances and time. And dealing with the many incidents and threats, especially the small ones where the rogues specialize, remains a challenge.

The Town & It's Culture
It can be said that the town at Kansai, Hosoi Mura predates the Matsumoto Castle. However, the castle has brought needed security to the town, and helped it grow. Today, Hosoi Mura is a mid-size town but large enough to have its own port, geisha okiya, kabuki theater, shops, eateries, sake houses and more. The number of residents in town is growing but there is still housing available.

The town is famous for it's geisha and their Nakanoshima Okiya. The okiya's ochaya is a source of daily joy, and the okiya's stage performances enrich holidays and other occassions. The kabuki theater is relatively new, but troupes of performers are active.

While history is sketchy, it is believed the region evolved from the fishing village which still prospers. The good harbor and portage facilities has enabled the town to prospered from trade. There are many rice farms as well, but the town's mystique includes it's clan of extraordinary Ama divers. These women dive the deep seas and recover a great of pearls each year.

Ronin Samurai & Yakuza
The prosperity of this region has attracted ronin samurai, thieves and raiders seeking to profit from Hosoi's riches and bring chaos. Most of these invaders have come to gruesome endings at the hands of samurai who patrol, however in recent times, ronin samurai have found safety inside the town's infrastructure.

Among the ronin, a cunning group formed a yakuza clan, and they have been successful in casting a web of fear over merchants. The yakuza have been dispersed by samurai several times, but they return from hiding places and return to their treachery. Some yakuza are easy to recognize, others blend into the population, given away only by their behaviors.

Myths, Intrigues & Conflicts
There has been a myth in the empire, started by a govenment official, that there is a great empress reigning over the land. However, it was finally revealed that the woman he identified as the empress turned out to be a beautiful Ama diving girl. She made it clear, she was not the empress and yet for many the myth persists.

Government officials have fallen from power as the town's merchants and citizens forced officials out of office as fears of greater criminal activity spread. Many merchants have chosen to just pay for protection, others attempt to stand against them. It is the need for security that brought the shogun to take power from the town's headman. But even with samurai protection, many merchants have succumbed to the pressure from yakuza thugs, and yakuka strength and power has increased.

Only the marketplace on Kanto with it's towering walls and samurai protection, has proven to be unassailable to the evil forces.

Welcome to Strangers
The Hosoi Empire is vast and there are dangers, but strangers have always welcome. It is a tradition of these people to take care of guests. There is even a welcoming area at the marketplace.

The April in Kyoto Geisha Show

2011-04-24T23:04:00.003+02:00

The magnificent geisha of the Nakanoshima okiya performed at the Hosoi Mura Kabuki Theater on Thursday, April 21st. Kansai's kabuki theater is located in the heart of the Miagawacho hanamachi (flower town) and was a perfect venue for a show paying homage to Kyoto during it's glorious Springtime revitalization.

April is the time of the cherry blossoms and bright white & pink skies. And Kyoto is a place where the history of the geiko lives within the enchanting buildings and traditions. April is a time for picnics, music, dance, stories and poetry and this is what the Nakanoshima performers gave to the audience. Following are a few scenes from the show:

Act 2: geiko Toshiha Magic and maiko Starmoon Yakubu performed a scene composed from a famous willow tale.

Act 3: two lovely geiko, Josiane Llewellyn and okaasan Miyako Akina perform a scene about the sakura blossom.

Geiko Masumi Manamiko narrated the show and at the beginning of Act 3 she told of, "the Kyo Odori or Kyoto dance, that is performed by maiko & geiko of the Miyagawacho district." She explained how it, "...depicts famous places and things in Kyoto throughout the seasons." Also explaining, "this very original odori enjoys great popularity." With that, she called for a famous kouta from this odori.

Gieko Toshiha began, "Dear patrons, our next performance will be the 'Miyagawa Ondo', a special song specific to the geiko and maiko of Miyagawacho. It is a fast paced, lively song, and we hope you enjoy it! Ookini san doshita!"

Act: 4, The final act included the shows' full company, dancing while Geiko Toshiha delivered the "Miyagawa Ondo"

The Nakanoshimi Okiya is one of the treasures of Hosoi Mura. They perform throughout the week at the ochaya (tea house) on several days a week, but their full stage performances are more rare. The performers in the event were:

geiko:
Masumi Manamiko
Toshiha Magic
okaasan Miyako Akina
Josiane Llewellyn

maiko:
Starmoon Yakubu
Yordie Sands

For those who aren't familiar with the Nakanoshima Okiya, it is at the heart of the Hosoi Ichiba roleplay experience. During the week, the geiko and apprentice geiko open the ochaya (tea house), located within the walls of the okiya, and serve visitors in the style of a real okiya. It is a cultural experience and it is open to the public.

To learn about the ochaya's events while inworld, search for and join the Nakanoshima Ochaya group or join the Hosoi Mura Community for notices about all activities in the community. Also, for those interested in becoming geisha, the okiya does accept apprentices for training from time to time, so for more information contact okaasan (mother) Miyako Akina.

by Yordie Sands

(A personal note, it was my honor to have performed with the ladies of the okiya and I wish to thank them.)

April in Kyoto geisha show Hosoi Mura 4/21 3pm

2011-04-17T02:44:00.006+02:00

In Kyoto, Japan's heartland, natural scenery, shrines & towns intermingle with a poignant beauty.

April is a good time to visit the area.

You can picnic in countryside surrounded in clouds of pinkish white or take in a tea ceremony with stunning kimono clad beauties at famous hanami venues...

Kyoto's geiko quarters stage grand & enthralling song & dance shows. Each of them has its own:

Kitano Odori, Miyako Odori, Kamogawa Odori , Kyo Odori...

They are worldwide famous: extraordinary dances with fascinating musics & spectacular costumes mesmerize the audience.

Thursday 4/24/09, 3pm, dancers of the Nakanoshima okiya will be performing at the stunning kabuki theatre.

Thanks to texts, music, sets & group dancing geisha, you will learn more on april in Kyoto.

The Role Play Survey

2011-04-15T23:58:00.001+02:00

Thank you to friends of Hosoi Mura who took part in our 1st Hosoi Role Play Survey. We learned a great deal about you and would like to share with you discoveries we've made.

What is Role Play?
First, several residents and even members of role play groups told us that they weren't sure what role play really is. And we think that's a fair point and a perfect place to start. Here are a couple of explanations:

Wikipedia says, "Role-playing refers to the changing of one's behaviour to assume a role, either unconsciously to fill a social role, or consciously to act out an adopted role."

But there's more, we are talking about online games, and Wiki goes on to say: "A role-playing game is a game in which the participants assume the roles of characters and collaboratively create stories. Participants determine the actions of their characters based on their characterisation, and the actions succeed or fail according to a formal system of rules and guidelines. Within the rules, they may improvise freely; their choices shape the direction and outcome of the games."

Those definitions are really are a good place to start. When we RP, whether as individuals, with friends or in groups, we are trying to play a specific character, such as a geisha or samurai. We are also playing within a general story, such as the Edo period of Japan. And we are trying to do the things our character would do, for example, a geisha would typically entertain in an ochaya (tea house) or a samurai would patrol the region.

Are samurai engaged in combat, role playing? Answer: Yes

What is Role Playing at Hosoi?
Let's talk about our Hosoi role players and people who aren't currently role playing but who'd like to. There were some interesting statistics in the Survey.

3/4 of people surveyed have RP experience
90% of people surveyed participate in RP events at Hosoi, regardless of whether they consider themselves to be RP'ers or not.
Virtually everyone who responded to Survey is interested in some form of role play.
Almost 2/3 of those surveyed are in RP groups
About 3/4s are residents at Hosoi.

Then there were the more challenging questions. We wanted to know how well our RP'ers could work with non-RP'ers.

* The questions about Out of Character (OOC) was about an even split with yes and no answers. We take that to mean that it is import to at least half of the people surveyed to have OOC areas.

* Concerning the question, "When you are immersed in your role play, does OOC conversation or attire concern you?" Again it was about an even split. So we deduce that for half of those surveyed it can be a concern to them if they are immersed and someone who is OOC enters their play.

* One really encouraging part of the survey was that many suggested rules to be considered when forming a RP guidelines.

Thank you to everyone who made a contribution to our survey, I can assure you that Amiryu Hosoi read the results and you may have already noticed some of the changes she has instituted.

What Will Role Play Be?
In the process of learning about who the Hosoi role players are, we came to realize there as many points of view about what role play should be as there are players. There are very serious role players, whimsical role players, people who role play but don't realize they are role playing, and many others. So, with this in mind, how can we possibly satisfy everyone?

If SL was a game like World of Warcraft, EverQuest or almost any other, you could expect relatively clear rules and a field of play. However, Second Life doesn't have built-in rules and the sims of Kansai and Chubu are historical settings. All rules for Hosoi role play must be created for our unique theme.

However, rules have already been created for some groups, and others have begun the process. In Kansai, the Nakanoshima Okiya has done a fine job of creating an authentic Edo Japan geisha house and tea house. In Chubu, the Keibatsu samurai have created a force of samurai that patrols the region, has tournaments and other activities. Also, recently, a mysterious clan of yakuza has moved into the Kansai region and one can only wonder what kind of intrigues will come from their RP. Yes, intrigue and mystery are very much part of role play.

However, even with these established group, we've learned that there is still much work to be done on. Ideally, we'll find new ways for each group to interface and participate with other groups. And we hope there will be creative ideas introduced as all of us invent our game.

Naturally, with so many groups and individuals wishing to engage in a wide range of role play activities, there are conflicting goals. Some feel there is only one way for role play to be implemented, and others see rules as problematic. However, based on the survey it's pretty clear that the people who are seriously interested in role play understand the value of rules and guidelines.

For a couple months, a role play committee has been working on themes and guidelines for Hosoi role play. In that process, one issues keeps coming up and seems very clear, the future of role play at Hosoi will require training. We are fortunate that training is already a part of some groups' activities, such as the geisha and samurai. But we see a need to provide introductary training for those not familiar with Hosoi's themes and even for those unfamiliar with role play.

The future of role play at the Hosoi Ichiba sim group is not laid out on a track. There is much work to do, but with a spirit of co-operation will help us create the path. Please help us "Invent the future".

The Role Play Survey - Part II

2011-04-07T18:40:00.001+02:00

NOT READY TO PUBLISH

In the previous post, we talked about what we learned in The Role Play Survey. You may have already noticed some

What Should Role Play Be?
In the process of learning about who the Hosoi role players are and what their ideas about role play are, we came to realize there as many points of view about what role play should be as there are players. There are very serious role players, whimsical role players, people who role play but don't realize they are role playing, and many others.

So, with this in mind, how can we possibly satisfy everyone? If SL was a game like World of Warcraft, EverQuest or almost any other, you could expect relatively clear rules and field of play. However, Second Life doesn't have built-in rules and the sims of Kansai and Chubu are historical settings. Any rules for play must be created from scratch.

In Kansai, the Nakanoshima Okiya has done a fine job of creating an authentic Edo Japan geisha house and tea house. In Chubu, the Keibatsu samurai have created a force of samurai that patrols the region, has tournaments and other activities. However, the survey reveals that even these established role play groups are still working on rules, and looking for ways to interface with other groups. In short, they are still inventing their games.

There are other groups and individuals who would like to engage in a wide range of role play activities. And of course, there are conflicting ideas and goals. Some feel there is only one way that role play can be implemented, and there are others who just don't care for rules at all. These are the issues and we thank everyone for helping us understand.

What is Next?
Currently, there is a small Role Play Council working on some basic guidelines for role play. The challenge in setting some guidelines is to find methods for each group to finds it's place in the Hosoi Ichiba complex. We recognize that everyone who loves these regions wants to enjoy them, so we want to create guidelines and some rules too, that will make sharing easier.

There are some rules that can be easily implemented. For example, many have noted that it's a bit annoying to have people flying all over the sky in during role play events. Yes, that's true. So, perhaps we will limit flying for non-group visitors, allowing group members to retain their rights to fly as part of their role play. Things like this can be done and are being considered.

A very important part of the future of Hosoi role play will be training. As noted above, many people don't know what role play is and especially don't know how to blend into Hosoi communities. Training classes are essential for the future, not just general training courses but groups should consider providing specific training to advance in a group. For example, the geisha have a well laid out program for advancement from beginner to apprentice to geisha. This is a good example to consider.

We hope this overview has given you insight into the process of how we all can share the beautiful resources that Amiryu Hosoi has made available to us for play.

Doll Festival Show at Hosoi Mura Theatre 3/13/11 3pm

2011-03-09T23:13:00.003+01:00

It was recently the japanese Girl's Day.
Hinamatsuri, held on March 3rd, is the Doll & Peach Blossom festival.
It is an occasion to pray for young girls' growth & happiness.
To celebrate this day, beautiful displays of dolls dressed in court ancient costumes are set up in homes & shrines.
Formerly the dolls were meant to ward off evils spirits.
Dolls have been manufactured since the early days of Japan. They are an integral aspect of its culture.

On sat. 3/13/11 3 pm dancers from the Nakanoshima Okiya will be performing on Hina Matsuri.
Don't miss this chance to learn in an entertaining way on one of the most important annual festivals in Japan.

Setsubun show at Hosoi Mura Theatre 2/12 2pm

2011-02-11T00:12:00.003+01:00

Setsubun has been recently celebrated in Japan.

This Japanese festival celebrates the coming of Spring.
Earlier this day was considered to be the start of the New Year.
Japanese people throw roasted beans as a ritual of chasing away evil spirits & say:
Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!
It is also time for Obake, a custom compared to Halloween.

On 2/11 2pm Toshifuku san & the Nakanoshima Okiya will be performing a show on Setsubun.

Welcome at this informative & fun event :)

Chinese New Year Show at the Hosoi Market 2/13/11 3 pm

2011-02-10T06:40:00.001+01:00

The New Year is in China the most elaborate & important of the traditional festivals. Who never saw pics of the dragon paraded through the streets?

Each new year is named after one of the 12 animals of the chinese zodiac. 2011 is the year of the Rabbit.
The Rabbit is a lucky sign. It symbolizes sensitivity, compassion & creativity.
2011 should be a peaceful year, welcomed after the Year of the Tiger.

The date of New Year changes every year as the calendar is lunar.
In 2011 it falls on February 3th. It is the start of 2 weeks of the Spring Festival celebrated in China & many other countries.
This long & colorful celebration is really fascinating & emblematic of the chinese culture.

On sund. 2/13/11 3 pm dancers from Hosoi Mura & The Pear Garden will perform a Chinese New Year show. With tales, colors, music & dances we will be celebrating the year of the rabbit.

Don't miss this scenic event :)

Major upgrade for Hosoi Cluster

2011-01-14T13:50:00.001+01:00

We are very happy to announce that after a week of hard work our Hosoi Cluster is polished and shining like the sun again. We have updated scenery throughout all islands to be sure the environment looks and feels more realistic.

Japan Kanto and Hosoi Ichiba
One of the major changes is the Hosoi Ichiba on Japan Kanto. This island and especially the market were the very first themed environments in our cluster and to be honest looked very outdated and non Japanese. We gave the Hosoi Ichiba a complete makeover with a new Royal Gate and walls. Inside the Ichiba there have been a lot of changes to the garden, tea house and tai chi area. The surroundings on the island are updated also with better looking ground cover, paths and water features.

Japan Kansai and Hosoi Mura
Anyone that ever visited our Hosoi Mura can tell you what a wonderfull authentic place this Edo Period Town is. Well, we made it even better for you. We decided to "downgrade" the heart of the town. Next time you visit this town make sure to wear extra high geta for the town is a very muddy place now;-) We also upgraded the overall scenery with better textures, better ground cover, better paths and water features. Put on your platform shoes and come over!

Japan Chubu and the Lotus Farm
The Lotus Farm on the castle grounds is transformed in a stunning romantic place. We redesigned the complete pond and ricefields.

Like on the other islands we also did a lot of upgrading on the roads, paths, the ground cover and water features. Japan Chubu is ready for the future!

Viewing the scenery
Note, we are not finished with upgrading our islands. Maintaining and managing islands and scenery is an ongoing task and we will continue tweaking to bring you the very best in SL. All our regions are best viewed with Windlight settings "Foggy" and "Enviroment editor set to 6.00 AM". Please try to explore our environmets on foot for the best experience.

Ami
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Toshiki's erikae at Hosoi Mura ochaya 10/18/10 4pm SLT

2010-10-15T15:38:00.004+02:00

Welcome at the Miyagawa-cho hanamachi,
the geiko area of Hosoi Mura.

When a Maiko becomes Geiko, there is a ceremony & performance called erikae.
Erikae ( 襟替え ) means 'turning of the collar':
the new Geiko now exchanges her red patterned collar for a white one.

On monday 10-18 4 pm Snr Maiko Toshiki will celebrate her erikae.

She will perform a dance interpretation of the Japanese tale "The Peony Princess".

Don't miss this event :)

2010-10-10T08:22:00.010+02:00

Autumn brings new life, new learning experiences to Hosoi

2010-09-28T04:42:00.010+02:00

The furin bell chimes in a sweet, almost calming manner as the fresh autumn air sweeps through the bamboo stalks and over the tightly layered roofs of Hosoi. This passing year might have been tough on everyone, but the sights and sounds of the ever-growing population of role players, buyers and Okiya members consistently reminds us that the beauty invested in the sweeping hills and authentic charm of the Amiryu Hosoi's masterpiece is not in vain. However, with the passing of times does bring change. This fall, as well as the coming year; is anticipated to be filled with new hope and success by one particular section of these wonderful Sims: Japan Kansai. With the flood of new clan role players and Samurai, as well as the various new additions (such as the Academy, Pearl Merchant, Fish Mongler and the Ramen Shop); the village in Japan Kansai hopes to bring a more dynamic and involved community of Japanese culture lovers.

Along with this enhancement is the change in the workings at Nakanoshima Okiya. With recent set backs, Miyako Akina as well as the rest of the Okiya expects to move forward and jump over the hurdles that have held them back before. Now offering a large array of classes and a more dedicated service, the beautiful Maiko and Geiko of your own Hosoi hope to soon be releasing a more solid schedule of performance and Ochaya (tea house) openings. Furthermore, they are also open for patrons to hire them for private events, they promise to not let you down! As a final note and as a teacher at Nakanoshima, I am opening up a selection of my classes to interested Japanese/Geisha culture enthusiasts. Below is the list of the classes this October open to the public:

Sunday 10/2:
10am SLT
History:
Geisha History

Monday 10/3:
4pm SLT
Special Arts:
Japanese Calligraphy Introduction

Saturday 10/9:
2pm SLT
Conversational Arts:
Haiku Lesson

Weds 10/13:
6pm SLT
Tea:
Japanese Tea Ceremony Video discussion

Friday 10/15:
12pm SLT
History:
Samurai History

Weds 10/20:
6pm SLT
Conversational Arts:
Tanka Lesson

Sunday 10/24:
10am SLT
Tea:
Chado-Garden and chashitsu Lesson

Monday 10/25:
4pm SLT
History:
History of Ikebana

Weds 10/27:
6pm SLT
Special Arts:
Sumi-e Introduction and lesson

Sunday 10/31:
10am SLT
Conversational Arts:
Kouta Lesson

Other classes such as dance or practical learning sections are still open for public viewing.
As the leaves turn, burst into vibrant colors and fall; we hope you will join us to celebrate autumn (and the changes!) in Hosoi.

-Geiko Mizuko (Kai Serapis)

Hosoi okiya show on Kannon at Osho 9/12/10 1pm

2010-09-08T07:25:00.006+02:00

Welcome at Osho Island, an amazing meditation place.

Never heard of Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy?

She is one of the most beloved divinities in Asia & Japan in ancient times & today.
The worship of Kannon began in Japan in the 7th cent., soon after Buddhism reached China.
Originally male, Kannon is often portrayed as female & personifies compassion & the divine mother.

Kannon, The Lord Seeing All, is present everywhere in Japan : many gigantic effigies & prominent shrines :
the most famous pilgrimage circuit devoted to Her covers 100 sites.

Countless miracle legends about Kannon has been widespread. She can appear in many avatars to save people & numerous historical figures are considered emanations of Her.

On sunday 9/12/10 1pm the Hosoi okiya will be performing. Thanks to stories told in words & pictures by dancing geisha, you will learn in an entertaining way on a fascinating figure of Japan.

Winner L$ 50.000 Hosoi Ichiba Machinima Awards 2010

2010-09-03T12:15:00.008+02:00

First of all I would like to say a word of thanks to all people that entered the Hosoi Machinima Contest 2010. Thank you also for your patience. There have been some major changes in our staff and because of that we were not able to finish the contest in time. However, finally, we found the time to review all contributions and pick the winning machinima video.

This year we recieved some wonderful pieces of art from the greatest machinima artists known to Secondife. We are very, very proud of the high quality of the machinimas and the great effort all artists have contributed. This year we found it even harder to decide what the winning machinima was going to be. The contributions were very far apart in story, settings and theme. Nevertheless we managed to reach a final verdict;-)

The winning machinima of the Hosoi Machinima Contest 2010 is:

Title: A Question of Honor by
Filmed, Edited and Directed: Iono Allen
Starring: Larkworthy Antfarm & Iono Allen

In this short story we are witness of a drama. From the very first shot you feel the growing tense that makes you shiver. The storyline is very well build and creates an ever tightening atmosphere with slow build-up to a shokking climax. The great cinematics, atmospheric settings and supporting sound trigger your senses and drags you into a melodramatic whirlpool. There is no escape. In this machinima the viewer becomes pray...

Congratulations Iono Allen

Hosoi Ichiba Featured in Destination Guide

2010-08-30T15:34:00.002+02:00

I am very proud to bring you the news that, finally our main shop Hosoi Ichiba on our island Japan Kanto is featured in the Second Life Destination Guide. We have worked very hard to achieve this goal and with the help of a lot of good and dedicated people we made it! As today we have 4 out of 4 islands listed, Yay!

Check out the Destination Guide here:

I would like to thank everyone involved making our dreams come true;-)

Ami

Tea Ceremony at Nakanoshima ochaya 9/1/10 3pm

2010-08-30T01:41:00.012+02:00

Oide yasu, welcome honored patrons,

Chado is the Japanese term for practicing & learning the way of tea. It refers to a way of living in the correct spirit of tea.

On the box containing tea utensils, the inscription is written:
ichi-go-ichie .
This means: every moment is unique & will never come again.

On Wednesday 9/1 , 3 pm SLT, Snr Maiko Toshiki will perform a demonstration of Chado.

Afterwards, a dance interpretation of "The Legend of the Crane Wife" will be performed.

Don't miss this amazing event.

Matsumoto Castle Fat Pack released. Save 40K in 1 click!

2010-08-27T10:54:00.004+02:00

This Matsumoto Castle Fat Pack is what you want if you want to rebuild the complete structure as seen on the island Japan Chubu in the Hosoi Cluster or if you want to build your own layout with the buildings. In the Fat Pack you will find ALL buildings and building elements ever produced and all are full copy/mod! All you need next is a Shogun to run your castle. Below is a list of all items included. Please enjoy!

• Matsumoto Castle - Main Tower
• Matsumoto Castle - Open Air Arena
• Matsumoto Castle - Right Wing
• Matsumoto Castle - Left Wing
• Matsumoto Castle - Main Gate
• Matsumoto Castle - Covered Entrance
• Matsumoto Castle - Covered Pavilion
• Matsumoto Castle - Castle Dojo
• Matsumoto Castle - Wall Gate
• Matsumoto Castle - Wall Element Corner
• Matsumoto Castle - Wall Element
• Matsumoto Castle - Kabuki Theater

Get your Matsumoto Fat Pack today here: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/6683
Complete impression on flickr.com here: http://www.flickr.com/search/show/?q=hosoimatsumotoseries

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Nihon buyou lecture at Hosoi Mura Theatre 8/14/10 3pm slt

2010-08-12T23:19:00.002+02:00

The lecture on Nihon buyou has been postponed to the 8/14 3 pm.

Nihon buyou lecture at Hosoi Mura Theatre 8/14/10 3pm slt

2010-08-12T23:09:00.001+02:00

The lecture on Nihon buyou has been postponed to the 8/14 3 pm.

Nihon buyou lecture at Hosoi Mura Theatre 8/7/10 3pm slt

2010-08-06T02:31:00.008+02:00

Welcome at the magnificent Hosoi Mura Theatre.

Nihon buyou , the Japanese classical dance, is both the dance of the Kabuki & the geisha.

Developed out of various traditions, it has a long & rich history.
Unlike ritual & folk dances associated with daily life, Nihon buyou is a performing art for the stage.
Known for its simplicity, its emotional expression & symbolic gestures, it is a refined & amazing language.

On saturday 8/7/10 3pm Starmoon Yakubu will be performing a lecture on Nihon buyou.
The story will be told in both words & pictures. Dance presentation at the end.
Don't miss this event :)

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Summer Festival

2010-07-22T16:58:00.001+02:00

Welcome at Japan Kanto, the market area of a magnificent asian themed sim.

Summer is rather hot in Japan & the humidity can be unbearable. People wear summer kimono (yukata). At the weekend, they flock to the beaches or to the relative cool of the mountains.

Summer is a season of countless festivals & fireworks.

Tanabata, the famous Star Festival, based on a romantic story, is held in many places.

Gion Matsuri running all the month of july in Kyoto is the most spectacular. On 17th many floats parade around the city center : it is a crowded day full of drums, dancing & all the bright colors of Japanese traditions.

On sun.7/25/10 3pm the Hosoi Okiya will be performing on summer festivals. Thanks to sets, musics & performing geisha, you will take part in an amazing time of the japanese year.

Nakanoshima Geisha show
Summer Festival
at Japan Kanto
Sun. 7/24/10 3pm SLT

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Rain Show

2010-06-26T16:15:00.006+02:00

Much of East Asia has a rainy season in the middle of summer. In Japan, this is usually in June and July. The Japanese summer monsoon, tsuyu or baiyu (梅雨 - plum rain), coincides with the plums ripening.

This is not the most suitable season for visiting Japan but some sights such as mountain scenery with hydrangea flowers, temples or hot springs can be very attractive.

Rain is very present in Japanese folklore and there are countless poems and songs that have rain as a theme.

On Sunday 27 June at 3pm SLT, our own Nakanoshima Okiya will be holding a rain-themed performance at the Hosoi Mura Theatre. Using musics, texts and scenic backdrops, dancing geisha will reveal the charm of the rainy season. If you want to join in the spirit - bring your rain gear!

Lecture on Kabuki

2010-06-09T17:57:00.003+02:00

In our continuing series of "edutainment" at the Hosoi sims, we would like to let everyone know about our next event.

Kabuki(歌舞伎) is the famous Japanese form of dance-drama dating back to the 17th Century. Translations can be the more literal "sing-dance-skill" or "to be out of the ordinary". It is well-known for its male actors, who traditionally play the parts of both men and women. However, Kabuki was founded by a fascinating woman named Okuni. Today, she is remembered as a mere legend.

On Friday, 11-Jun-2010 at 4pm SLT our own Akiko Omizu will be presenting (and performing!) a lecture on Kabuki. The story will be told in both words and pictures.
So please come and learn how one of Japan's most famous and colorful male art forms was begun by a woman.

One thing that our presentation will definitely not be is "ordinary"! We look forward to seeing you there!

Feedback on the Wisteria Festival

2010-06-08T16:12:00.004+02:00

We had a wonderful turn-out for the Wisteria Festival the other day, and a couple of friends have documented their experiences which we would like to share with you.

Yordie Sands wrote a nice report of her experiences at the show - you can find it here on her blog.

Previous machinima contributor Larkworthy Antfarm was also there, and provides this video of the show, for those that would like to see at least some of it.

Thank you to all that attended, and special thanks to Yordie and Larkworthy for these write-ups - we look forward to seeing you at a future performance.

Geisha Show - Wisteria Festival

2010-05-30T00:08:00.003+02:00

On Sunday, 30 May 2010 at 3pm SLT our own Nakanoshima Geisha present a show at the Hosoi Mura Theatre.

Beautiful flowers are a central part of the Japanese culture. Wisteria takes its turn on the floral calendar as the seasons turn to May, when throughout Japan the cherry blossoms give way to the spectacularly blooming wisteria vines. The Japanese people love to see the delicate tufts of purple flowers sway in the wind under the trellis.

There are many wisteria festivals; the most famed one is at Kameido Shrine in Kyoto, a scenic place immortalized by Hiroshige in a famous artwork, a perfect example of how Wisteria are featured in traditional Japanese arts. For hundreds of years wisteria flowers have been depicted on kimonos and celebrated in poetry.

Fuji Musume (Wisteria Maiden) is a very famous kabuki dance - it portrays the spirit of the wisteria as a pretty girl worried about her affair with a cold-hearted man.

So please join us on Sunday, the 30 of May at 3pm SLT the Hosoi Okiya will be performing their wisteria celebration. Through our geisha dancing on a gorgeous stage, you will learn in an entertaining way about this very prominent flower in Japanese culture.

Apollo Mang

2010-04-23T02:29:00.000+02:00

Geisha Show - Doll Festival

2010-04-23T02:22:00.004+02:00

SL Resident Ramesses Pharoah captured this wonderful machinima of one of our recent Geisha Shows. Thanks for posting this, Ramesses!

http://bdyoutube.com/video/ZhYbkgMT6Q8/Hosoi-Geisha-Show-Doll-Festival-Japan-Kanto-Second-Life-Machinima-Shadows.html

New! Hosoi Japanese Samurai Armor

2010-04-19T16:43:00.014+02:00

After the popularity of some of our other clothing, we are proud to announce a new line - our Samurai Armour.

There are many generations and evolutions of the samurai armour through the ages. Initially they used solid metal plating, which made the warrior so unable to move that it was found to be detrimental to the health of the owner! Not quite the goal intended. The next evolution was towards a suit made of tiny plates tied together, often with leather.

Japanese fighting methods are characterised by the nature of their movements, and this 'fish scale' armor was developed to allow for this. The problem with making an entire suit of this, though, was that it would weigh far too much, still, because the scales needed to overlap. The compromise, therefore, was to put it in the most vulnerable places, and the use leather scales on the rest of the body.

Our Samurai Armor is a very complete suit featuring lots of flexy parts and details. Shape and 2 skins are included. We used only the very best hand-painted textures that are unique within Second Life.

Get your Samurai Armor here at: XstreetSL
View additional images here at: Flickr.com

We look forward to seeing your sporting your new armour in the Mura soon!

Ama Diving Game ready for Beta Testing!

2010-04-13T19:09:00.011+02:00

We are so happy that our Ama Diving Game is finally ready for beta testing after we have worked on it so long. This is the next phase in our communities that we would like to welcome to the Hosoi Mura.

About Ama Diving

Ama divers are Japanese divers, famous for collecting pearls. The majority of Ama are women. Japanese tradition holds that the practice may be 2,000 years old.

Traditionally Ama dived wearing only a loincloth, without scuba gear or air tanks, making them a traditional sort of free-diver. They are famous for pearl diving, but originally they dove for food like seaweed, shellfish, lobsters, octopus, abalone and oysters which, or course, sometimes have pearls.

Ama divers can keep diving well into old age; the older divers are generally able to stay submerged longer than the younger. It is supposed that the majority of Ama are women because of how their bodies differ from men. The fat on a female body is distributed differently to men, which ensures that they can stay warmer in colder water.

About our Ama Diving Game

The Challenge

The sea is full of treasures for you to discover; Harvest as many Oysters and Abalone as you can find. You must swim within five meters of an Oyster or Abalone to be able to harvest the meat or if you are really lucky, a Pearl! It is said that every now and then even a genuine "Black Pearl" can be found here. Black Pearls are the most precious and expensive Pearls that can be found in the waters around Hosoi Mura.

The Ama Diver Outfit

Our unisex outfit comes with an Underskirt, Skirt, an optional Bra and a Tool Belt. Diving is done with only the traditional clothes and tools. You are not allowed to dive with modern clothes or gear. You can wear and adjust the size of the various items in the outfit in order to get the best fit, then dive to find and harvest the Oysters. Your Ama Diving gear can be found in the huts near the harbour.

Oyster Meat

All Oysters you harvest have Oyster Meat. You should bring the harvested Oyster Meat to the Ramen Shop in the Old Town of Hosoi Mura. Ask for the cook and she will be happy to prepare you a good bowl of healthy and fresh seafood ramen.

Abalone Meat

All Abalone you harvest have Abalone Meat. It is said that in the Hosoi Mura there is a very good Fishmonger, preparing the very best Sushi in the whole area. Take your Abalone to the Town, find the Fishmonger and let the chef prepare you a wonderful plate of fresh Sushi.

White Pearls

While all Oysters contain delicious meat, only a few contain a treasure. If you are one of the lucky Ama Divers that found a Pearl. Travel to the Old Town of Hosoi Mura and find the Pearl Merchant. Pearls are very valuable an can be traded with various items or good money. Exchange your Pearls for HMK (see below).

Black Pearls

The sea bed around Hosoi Mura is well-known for the very rare Black Pearls. Maybe if you are very, very lucky you will be one of the chosen ones to find a Black Pearl. If you do, travel to the Old Town of Hosoi Mura and find the Pearl Merchant. Black Pearls are very valuable an can be traded with various items or good money. Exchange your Black Pearls for HMK.

HMK - Hosoi Mura Koban

The Hosoi Mura Koban is a Japanese oval gold coin. In Edo period feudal Japan, the Koban was equal to one Ryo. One Ryo can be imagined as worth a thousand Linden dollars, although the value of the coin, like the value of the dollar can vary considerably.

The HMK can be traded, sold or passed to friends as a present. They can be used to get a discount on all Hosoi Products. However, the discount can never be more then 30% of the actual purchase price. Please see Amiryu Hosoi to buy items using an HMK discount.

How to swim and dive

The Ama Diver Tool Belt is scripted to recognise water. Wear the Ama outfit and Tool Belt and enter the water to start diving. Use the arrow-keys to choose your direction, use the "E" key to swim up, use "C" key to swim down. Click any Oyster to harvest the contents. You must be within 5 meters of an Oyster to be able to harvest it. Good luck!

Our Beta Test

We are now ready to invite a select group of people to join the beta tester group, to get the last few bugs out of the system that we have designed. Please contact Amiryu Hosoi in-world for instructions on how to become a member.

• Beta testers get a free Ama Diver Outfit!

Ama Diving Location: Hosoi Mura on Japan Kansai
Hosoi Mura Resource Centre: Info on Ama Diving
Get your Ama Diver Outfit: XstreetSL

About Hosoi Mura Resource Centre

2010-04-02T14:58:00.001+02:00

Hosoi Mura is an Edo Period Town located on Japan Kansai in Second Life. On this blog you will find resources for great books, movies and helpful websites. Our goal is to bring education, culture and arts to the people.

Under the Editors Picks you will find books, movies and websites that we highly recommend for their cultural accuracy and educational value. Enjoy!

In the Hosoi Mura Resource Centre situated in the tea house near the Zen Temple you can leave your suggestions. Just drop your notecards on the book for us to review. Thank you!

Check the link in the sidebar.

Hosoi Ichiba Crew

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New releases in the Hosoi Mura Series

2010-03-29T21:43:00.007+02:00

Today we released two new small buildings. We got several requests for traditional Tea Houses and now your wait is over. We present to you our new Kansai Tea Houses.

The Kansai Tea Houses come in two different designs. It is an amazing building that illustrates the Japanese attitude toward aesthetics and the natural environment. The traditional Tea house is in some ways a religious expression as well as a dwelling. The Japanese "religious aesthetic" is evident in the traditional house and also in other art forms such as brush painting, flower arrangement and tea ceremony.

New releases in the Matsumoto Castle Series.

2010-03-26T15:00:00.018+01:00

We have more exiting news: we just released three new buildings to complete the Matsumoto Castle Series.

Matsumoto Kabuki Theater

This stunning Edo Period Kabuki Theater is built using Real World historical samples. It has seating for around 80 people and is full of delicate detail. You can visit the Kabuki Theater at Japan Chubu. We are planning to hold a lot of events in our new theater.

Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers. The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing (歌), dance (舞), and skill (伎). Kabuki is therefore sometimes translated as "the art of singing and dancing."

Matsumoto Castle Dojo

On special request we have constructed a Japanese Dojo in the line with the other Matsumoto Building Elements. Bring your samurai clan members and practice your skills. The building is wonderfully textured with lots of detail. The Dojo can be found on Japan Chubu, within the Castle grounds.

A dojo (道場 dōjō?) is a Japanese term which literally means "place of the way". Initially, dōjō were adjuncts to temples. The term can refer to a formal training place for any of the Japanese do arts but typically it is considered the formal gathering place for students of any Japanese martial arts style to conduct training, examinations and other related encounters.

Matsumoto Open Air Arena

This structure is a "must-have" for your open air events, tournaments or training camps. The Arena comes with a gate, seats for the public, various makeware (kendo targets and archers targets). The Open Air Arena can be found just outside the Castle grounds on Japan Chubu.

Where to Find Them

All buildings are available on Our Xstreet Catalog and in our inworld vendors at the Hosoi Ichiba. More pictures and impressions can be found at: Our Flickr Catalog

Ama Diving at Hosoi Mura

2010-03-15T12:44:00.012+01:00

My dear friends,

I have an interesting update for you. Today we finished the rough draft for our new community. It is located at the natural harbour near Sakura Island. We are building a small Ama community there. Ama is Japanese for "people of the sea". Ama are famous for pearl diving, but originally they dove for food like seaweed, shellfish, lobsters, octopus, sea urchins and oysters which sometimes have pearls (the fresh seafood can be ordered at the nearby Ramen Shop that is run by Tomadachiyo).

As you already know we try to keep our scenery as traditional as possible and because our Hosoi Mura is situated in the Japanese Edo Period we do not allow scuba diving gear and other modern equipment. Diving is done wearing only a loincloth (loincloth is the most basic form of short dress). Please help us preserve our atmosphere.
As we are building a small community we are also looking for a few people that want to actually "live" in the Ama divers community. We have 2 huts and a small beach waiting for you.

What we are looking for is people interested in the Ama history to "live" and "play" at this new location providing visitors with historical facts and stories of this wonderful Ama culture. If you are interested in becomming part of this special community, please contact Amiryu Hosoi.

More info on Ama divers at our Hosoi Mura Resource Centre

Hina Matsuri Dance Show

2010-03-10T19:16:00.005+01:00

Nakanoshima Okiya (SL Miyagawa-cho) presents the Hina Matsuri Dance Show. You are most welcome at Hosoi Ichiba, a magnificent traditional Asian-themed sim. Recently it was Hinamatsuri, japanese Girl's Day. Hinamatsuri, held on March 3rd, is the Doll & Peach Blossom festival. It is an occasion to pray for young girls' growth & happiness.

To celebrate this day, beautiful displays of dolls dressed in court ancient costumes are set up in homes & shrines. Formerly the dolls were meant to ward off evils spirits. Dolls have been manufactured since the early days of Japan. They are an integral aspect of its culture.

The wonderful dancers from the Nakanoshima Okiya will be performing on Hina Matsuri. Don't miss this chance to learn in an entertaining way on one of the most important annual festivals in Japan.

Japan Kanto - Sat. 3/13/10 - 3 pm SLT
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Japan%20Kanto/195/175/31

Hosoi Ichiba Crew

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Announcing: The Hosoi Ichiba Machinima Awards 2010

2010-03-09T12:05:00.009+01:00

It has been a long time since Hosoi Ichiba launched the first Machinima Competition. Over time we have added a lot more scenery to our little corner in Second Life. The Hosoi Cluster is now 4 islands big! 3 of the islands are Japanese inspired and 1 island is Chinese. We have added all ingredients for a great love story or drama production. In other words, the stage is set. And we think it is time for you, the true artists to come over and show the world your skills.

Hosoi Ichiba announces the second competition, Hosoi Machinima Rewards 2010. We are looking for the artist that can compose the best Machinima impression of our Hosoi Cluster. The production should have a story line, use Windlight settings and be a minimum duration of 100 seconds of high quality video (no maximum). It should be published on YouTube and contain the phrase "Hosoi Ichiba" in the title or search tag.

Extra marks will be given by the judges for background sound and or music and the use of authentic japanese avatars fitting with the environment.

What are the rules?

Contributions should be published on YouTube between 15 April 2010 and 15 July 2010.
A jury will evaluate the submissions and decide which ones best capture the spirit of our place.
The jury reserves the right to disqualify any entry that does not fit this competition.
The Jury's decision is final.
Announcement of the award recipient will be made on this blog.

Prizes and Acknowledgments:

The winning video will be published here, with credits to the artist, who will be presented with the L$ 50,000 prize. When you have a video completed, please IM Amiryu Hosoi with the URL to your production (posted on YouTube).

To answer some questions that we have had, this competition is not intended to be a paid commercial for our products. We want you to use our environment and scenery in as creative a way possible - we are not asking you to feature our products. Tell your story, using our scemnery and atmosphere as a backdrop.

Scripts are enabled all over the island, so you won't have any trouble there. If you need to rez objects for your project, we currently have autoreturn set to a few minutes, so you may need more. Please contact Amiryu Hosoi in-world and we can add you to a group that allows you to build. All that we ask is that you clean up after yourselves when you leave the islands, or log off or your stuff will get returned to you.

Just in case you don't take a look at the comments, the piece can use whatever aspect ratio you choose, and adding your "watermark" or "bug" in an unobtrusive way is perfectly acceptable.

The Hosoi Ichiba Crew wishes you lots of creativity and inspiration.

Let the camera roll

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Chubu and Kansai Featured on Destination Guide

2010-03-05T00:46:00.011+01:00

Hello my dearest friends. We are very proud to announce our regions "Japan Chubu" with the Matsumoto Castle and "Japan Kansai" with the Edo period Japanese Town are both added to the Linden Lab Destination Guide today;-) We now have "China Sichuan", "Japan Chubu" and "Japan Kansai" featured. 3 down 1 to go, Yay!

Check it out here:
Japan Shubu - Matsumoto Castle
Japan Kansai - Edo period Japanese Town
China Sichuan - Great wall of China

Hosoi Cluster Island Names Update

2010-02-27T18:19:00.008+01:00

Hello everyone, Here is a short notice about a recent name change of one of our popular islands. In the past we have adopted the island Mao from a business relation including the region's name. But, because we think the name Mao is to much political loaded and therefore may keep people from visiting this wonderful place, we decided to rename our island Mao to China Sichuan. We think the name China Sichuan fits much better in context with our other islands in the Hosoi Cluster.

Here are the island names belonging to the Hosoi Cluster:

SLurl - Japan Kanto - Hosoi Ichiba, Japanese Prefabs, Furniture & Lifestyle
SLurl - Japan Kansai - Hosoi Mura, Edo period Japanese Town, Okiya and RPG
SLurl - Japan Chubu - Home of the famous Japanese Matsumoto Castle
SLurl - China Sichuan - Land of the Great Wall of China

Come over and shoot some nice pics. We would also very much appreciate it if you uploaded your pictures to our Flickr Group. Remember to tag your photos with "Hosoi Ichiba" before adding them to our Hosoi Ichiba Flickr Group

Please update your landmarks and tell your friends;-)

Enjoy yourselves,

Hosoi Ichiba Crew

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Chinese New Year Dance Show

2010-02-18T20:25:00.010+01:00

Hosoi Mura & Nightingale present

Chinese New Year Dance Show at Japan Kanto
Sund. 2/21/10 3 pm SLT

You are most welcome at Hosoi Ichiba, a magnificent traditional Asian-themed sim. :)

New Year is in China the most elaborate & important of the traditional festivals. Who never saw pics of the dragon paraded through the streets? Each new year is named after one of the 12 animals of the chinese zodiac. 2010 is the year of the tiger. The Tiger, beautiful & feared creature, features courage & power. Tiger people are given to deep thinking & capable of great sympathy.

The date of New Year changes every year as the calendar is lunar. In 2010 it falls on Janurary 14th. It is the start of 2 weeks of the Spring Festival celebrated in China & many other countries. This long & colorful celebration is really fascinating & emblematic of the chinese culture.

On sund. 2/21/10 3 pm dancers from Hosoi Mura & Story House Nightingale will perform a Chinese New Year show. With tales, colors, music & dances we will be celebrating the year of the tiger. Don't miss this scenic event.

SLurl to the Hosoi Ichiba Garden Stage

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Okiya Manga

2010-01-28T03:16:00.004+01:00

Toshiha Magic and Mieha Tsunenaga have put together a small graphic-base "manga" with some neat background information about our Oikya.

Please visit it by clicking on this link.

2009 - A Year in Review

2010-01-23T21:19:00.004+01:00

Now that we have all (hopefully) recovered from the recent celebrations, we can take a step back and look at what 2009 meant for us in the world of Hosoi.

We achieved some major milestones this year in terms of making the Hosoi sims more of what fit our long-term goals, we have faced some challenges, welcomed some new people into our family, and already had a glimpse of what 2010 could bring.

Major Milestones
Back at the end of 2008 we had just started the Geisha school. We are pleased to see that it is still going as strongly as ever, thanks to some wonderful management, first by Kai Serapsis, and now by Toshiha Magic. There have been some wonderful shows, with great attendance.

We also established the Hosoi Mura - an Edo-period town, complete with stores, narrow streets, a temple, and residences. After several attempts to start activities there, we now have a few firmly established, with more to come.

Another of Amiryu's larger projects has been the building of the Matsumoto Castle - a wonderfully-detailed replica of the Real Life Castle. This is now the home of the next of our community projects - a Samurai Clan.

We have been featured in some wonderful SL magazines, including Prim Perfect and Avenue Magazine.

Our Challenges
The world-wide economic downturn has, of course, impacted everyone in Second Life. Many businesses have closed their doors and disappeared, and many talented designers have been forced to leave.

Once we realised what was coming, we knew that we had do make some major changes in order to maintain our sustainability. We took two major steps to keep our costs in line with what we saw as our sale projections - we reduced from 6 sims down to four, and we reduced the amount of online advertising that we did, hoping that word-of-mouth would help us through.

We are pleased to say that this has been a success, and that we have managed to continue to cover our costs throughout this period. Now that it appears that the worst of the downturn is behind us, we feel that we are in a very good position for staying as active in Second Life as we have been.

New Staff
We are very pleased to welcome Akiko Omizu to the Hosoi Team. Akiko is going to take on the role of Community Coordinator, working with the various projects in the Hosoi Mura to try to make it feel more like the vibrant community that we hope is in its future.

The Future
The dream that Amiryu Hosoi had when she started this project was to try to have a community that people felt comfortable in - a place they would treasure visiting. We determined that since such things cost money, we would need to build a sustainable business that could support this community. 2009, with all of its challenges, has shown us that we do, indeed, seem to have achieved this. Now the future direction for us, while sustaining the business, is to grow the sense of community.

The Okiya (Geisha School) was the first success in this arena. Towards the end of 2009 we started our Sake House - a place for people to come and chat with Spot Barthelmess and Miyako Akina, the charming hosts. And also the forming of our Samurai Clan Keibatsu at the castle, led by Crayz Shamrock. If you have any interest in becoming a Geisha, or Samurai, please contact them - we would be pleased to welcome you.

In 2010 we hope to continue adding new mini-communities to the Mura - we have several new ones in the pipeline and should be blogging about them as they arrive.

Thank you to everyone who visited us and stayed a while during 2009 - we would like to invite you back in 2010 to see what new things we have in store!

All the best to you and yours,
Hosoi Management
* Amiryu Hosoi
* Kalderi Tomsen
* Nani Yifu
* Akiko Omizu

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Wanted, dedicated ambassadors

2009-10-20T16:06:00.007+02:00

Hosoi Ichiba is an Asian-themed open air market surrounding a meditation garden located on the traditional Asian-themed cluster of 4 stunning islands. Hosoi Ichiba is well known for the high quality Asian themed furniture, buildings and decoration. If you are looking for the very best, this is the place to start.

Your job will be exploring the grid for Asian-themed places, communities and groups and organise excursions and guided tours on our islands. We want you to bring in new visitors to expand our customer base.

Are you fascinated with the Asian culture? Do you like to be part of a truly unique venture and make some cash on the side, then send a notecard to Amiryu Hosoi.

Hosoi Ichiba Crew

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Matsumoto Castle Released

2009-10-09T20:31:00.006+02:00

New release, Matsumoto Castle, one of Japan's finest historic castles.

Hosoi Design brings you Matsumoto Castle, one of Japan's finest historic castles. For everyone who would like to own a true Japanese castle we have constructed a range of buildings and building elements. For your convenience we have made all parts modular and expandable. You can start with just the Main Tower and later add other building elements to expand your castle. The elements are constructed after RL samples and are textured with very high quality custom made photo realistic textures. All elements can be combined in various ways. We also have build you a complete demo of the Matsumoto Castle on Japan Chubu. Come over and enjoy.

In Real Life, Matsumoto Castle (松本城 Matsumoto-jō) is one of Japan's finest historic castles, located in the Nagano Prefecture. It is a listed national treasure. The style of the castle is hirajiro or a flatland castle, built on a plain, and the style dates back to the Sengoku Period. For more information, and pictures of the Real Life castle, please see the Wikipedia Article on the Castle.

Browse complete Matsumoto Castle Series on XstreetSL

Visit the Matsumoto Castle inworld and experience the rich atmosphere

Enjoy yourselves,

Hosoi Ichiba Crew

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New product - Houseboats - Get some Junk in your Trunk!

2009-10-03T21:06:00.010+02:00

The summer holidays are over (at least for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere) and it's time to get back to work to produce some new items to improve your Second life!

This month we are presenting a new way of living - chinese houseboats, also called Junks, were Oriental sailboats dating from ancient times and still in use today. Junks were originally developed during the Han Dynasty (220BC – 200AD) and were used as ocean-going vessels as early as the 2nd century AD. They were further evolved in the later dynasties, and were built and used throughout Asia for extensive ocean voyages.

A houseboat is a boat that has been designed or modified to be used primarily as a human dwelling. Some houseboats are not motorized, because they are usually moored, kept stationary at a fixed point and often tethered to land to provide utilities. However, many are capable of operation under their own power.

As always, what you get with our product is our customary attention to detail and craftmanship. Can you imagine a more romantic place to live and love? We took the Chinese design and gave it a japanese twist - our Oriental Houseboats come in 3 designs. We have red paint (Akane-Maru - sunset sky), natural wood (Harusame - Spring Rain Falling Gently) and blue paint (Hikawa - Ice River). They have 92 prims, or 122 with mast and sail, and have a footprint of 30 x 11 meters. They are sold with the permissions Modify, Transfer and No Copy. Please not that these are not vehicles, as they are designed to be moored in one place.

Inside are panels of rich wood, tatami mats and bunks for sleeping. There are bunks for two people, one large room and one small room, plus some covered space on deck for sitting outside and watching the world go by! If you would like to have your boat bob around on the surface of the water, please contact us and we can provide a scrtipt for free that will do this. For those that tend to get seasick, though, the boat as-built does not move!

See them on XStreetSL or in-world.

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Yoshiwara Okiya Presents Warriors in old Japan

2009-09-22T13:30:00.007+02:00

Today we have a very exciting event to tell you about.

For centuries, Samurai have represented unfailing courage, imperturbable loyalty and internal harmony. They made up a fearless and powerful force of fighting warriors, who came to rule Japan for over 600 years from the 12th century.

Their code of honor and swordmanship have become world-famous and their exploits created many of the greatest legends in Japan. They have been widely glorified in the popular culture (comics, films, video games, websites...) and the Samurai history is a source of fascination for adults and children all over the world.

On Saturday 9/26/09 at 3pm SLT, the Yoshiwara Geisha will perform stories of Warriors in Old Japan. Go behind behind the clichés, with the texts, musics, pictures and dancing geisha, you will travel in a fascinating reality.

SlUrl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Japan%20Kansai/90/153/34

Everyone is invited to this wonderful event. Please be there on time, we have limited seats.

Travelogue - Lotus Mastroianni

2009-09-08T17:43:00.005+02:00

Recently Lotus M paid us a visit at the Great Wall, taking some wonderful photos and giving us a really nice account of her visit. You can see the original version on her SecondLadies.Net blog and a translation into English in this SecondFantasy.Org article.

Thanks for the visit, Lotus - we hope you enjoyed your stay!

Article in Avenue Magazine

2009-08-17T21:05:00.007+02:00

The August edition of Avenue magazine features an article on the Hosoi Ichiba, written and photographed by Ocean Miami and Tillie Ariantho, in their "Architectural Review" section, starting on page 117.

You can find the edition on the web here: http://issuu.com/avenue/docs/avenue.august2009

The fact that we are referred to as a "Socio-architectural project" makes us sound very grand - we just thought we were making a cool place for people to visit!

They take a long tour through the various parts of the islands, and write about the festival of Tanabata that we were celebrating at the time.

Prim Perfect - Magazine Feature

2009-08-15T00:40:00.006+02:00

We are extremely proud to announce that we have been featured in the current article of Prim Perfect magazine! This magazine features home builders and designers of Second Life, so we were very pleased to be asked whether they could feature us!

Check out the edition at http://en.calameo.com/books/00000423498fa545f9454

It includes some magnificent pictures of our sims, plus an interview with Amiryu, telling the story of how we came to be.

Thanks to the staff of the magazine for such a great spread!

Video Postcard - Visit to the Great Wall

2009-08-13T02:13:00.000+02:00

TheMuseDefined has taken a neat video postcard of their visit to the Great Wall and our sims. You can find it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nNBEXbuMiY

Thanks for such a cool video!

New Machinima - The Oriental Lady

2009-08-04T23:35:00.002+02:00

Yet another really nice story told using our Hosoi Ichiba and Mura as a backdrop, this time from Hadji Ling. It tells the story of the Oriental Lady who, while walking through her village, finds herself followed by a stranger with no good intentions, but a young man who was nearby fishing came to help, and protected the lady!

It was love at first sight....

This one has suspense, action, and a happy ending!

Thank you, Hadji, for making this and making it available to us!

Mizzi Arado's Postcards from Japan

2009-08-02T23:19:00.002+02:00

Mizzi Arado is a german-speaking fashion diva who loves to travel the SL world, sending postcards of her adventures. In this article, she visits the Hosoi Ichiba and sends postcards and snapshots home.

Machinima: Urashima Tarō

2009-07-18T17:42:00.008+02:00

When Amiryu and her team came up with the concept of the Hosoi Ichiba, we really hoped that it would be something more than "just another store" in the Second Life Virtual World. We wanted it to be a place that people could come, find beauty, get inspired, in short, to find whatever their hearts were seeking.

And it seems that Larkworthy Antfarm found just that. Together with Pinetree Sungsoo she has made what we feel is a truly amazing use of our place to tell the old japanese story of Urashima Tarō (浦島太郎), the fisherman who falls in love with a turtle who turns out to be Otohime (乙姫), the daughter of the Emperor of the Sea, and grandmother of the first japanese emperor... I won't spoil you for the ending, but I recommend you take a look at this great piece of Machinima.

The story comes from the Nara period (around the 8th century)

Please leave any comments you have on this, and we'll make sure that Larkworthy sees them!

You can see other works by Larkworthy at http://www.youtube.com/user/Larkworthy

Larkworthy, once again, thank you for making this beautiful piece.

Review: Laurel's Places to Go

2009-07-17T18:18:00.004+02:00

Laurelyne Laville runs her blog called "Laurel's Places to Go" and visited us recently and wrote a nice article on her experiences at the Great Wall.

You can see the article here.

Thanks for the nice write-up, Laurel!

Positions wanted: Teachers

2009-07-11T02:21:00.003+02:00

Due to the Okiya changes taking place, Nakanoshima is hiring teachers! We are working on making our Okiya more "realistic" in terms of classes. We will be setting up special classrooms throughout Hosoi, so the students will have to travel as in RL. We are in need of 6 teaches for six different subject areas. The catagories are: SL Skills, Background information, Conversational, The Arts, Performance and Appearance.

- SL skills will include How to build, How to edit and basic SL workings.

- Background information will include Flower and willow world terms, Day in life of a RL Geisha, Important events and festivals in Japan, Rank and title information with in an Okiya, and Okiya and Ochaya information.

- Conversational will include Emoting, Honorifics, etiquette and conversational skills.

- The Arts will include Dance, Music, Ikebana, Calligraphy, poetry (and other writing techniques) and tea ceremony/serving.

- Performance will consist of Traditional Performance as a Geisha, Modern Performance and performance planning skills and help.

- Appearance will have Kanzashi, Make-up, hair, kimono, obi and shoes.

If you have an interest in any of these and a will to teach, please contact Kai Serapis in-world. She will be going over the information with the chosen teacher and setting them up with a classroom. PLEASE do not hesitate, we need to fill these positions quickly.

Please note that these positions are voluntary - there is no monetary compensation available.

Come celebrate Tanabata with us!

2009-07-01T15:51:00.009+02:00

Our Okiya, Nakanoshima, is celebrating Tanabata!

For the past month, the Okiya members in Japan Kansai have been working hard to bring this tradition in Japan to life.

Tanabata is a Japanese star festival that takes place on the 7th day of the 7th month each year. The story of Tanabata is derived from the Chinese story of Qi Xi (七夕 "The Night of Sevens"). Legend has it that a King named Tentei (天帝, Sky King, or the universe itself) goes in search of a husband for his weaver daughter Orhime Orihime (織姫, Weaving Princess). Tentei finds a cow herder by the name of Hikoboshi (彦星, Cow Herder Star) and the couple fall in love and marry.

After a while, the work that used to be done by the lovers falls behind. In anger, Tentei sends Hikoboshi away and Orihime becomes heart-broken. In time, her father sees her sadness and promises they can see each other on the 7th day of the 7th month.

Provided it doesn't rain, many Japanese cities celebrate the coming together of these Star-crossed Lovers. During Tanabata, the streets are festooned with bamboo decorations and colorful, streaming lanterns. During our Tanabata we will have some versions of these decorations and food stands! We will also have musicians that will travel along side the parade and a person singing the Traditional Tanabata song!

Sasa no ha sara-sara (笹の葉　さらさら)
Nokiba ni yureru (軒端にゆれる)
Ohoshi-sama kira-kira (お星様　キラキラ)
Kingin sunago (金銀砂子)

Translation:

The bamboo leaves rustle, rustle,
shaking away in the eaves.
The stars go twinkle, twinkle;
Gold and silver grains of sand.

As far as we know, this will be the first attempt by the Geishas in SL to have a parade, so even with difficulties.... we hope that you appreciate the effort. We will be crowning a Tanabata queen and following the parade, we will have a dance in the courtyard with games to continue the party. Also, do not forget to drop your wish in the Tanabata tree! The route that the parade will take is shown on the map to the right - please click on the image to see it full-size.

Unfortunately, due to some technical problems, the play will be postponed to a date after July 7th. Please look out for updates on this!

So please join us on July 7th at 4pm SLT on Japan Kansai!

(Please line up on the sides of the streets..please stay off the roads. Seats will be arranged - if no seats are available... please just stand near them around the areas indicated on the map.)

Website about our Okiya

2009-06-13T15:54:00.005+02:00

Many of you know that we host an Okiya (or Geisha School) on the Japan Kansai sim. Well, now they have a website where members and patrons can find out about activities, meet the residents, and see pictures. It is at http://nakanoshima.ning.com/.

If you have enjoyed one of the performances, or are interested in joining, please sign up for a free membership of the site and get involved!

Carts and Wheels and Stuff

2009-05-30T23:03:00.012+02:00

One of the less visible parts of the very large Hosoi Mura project has been all the little items that go to make up the character of the place. In the same way that we want to show off the larger buildings, we also want to feature some of the smaller items that you might be interested in having in your own area, to make a place feel a little more "lived-in".

Today we feature two carts, wheels and loads that can be found as part of the Hosoi Mura "Props" series.

The first item is this hand cart, available in two different colour schemes, as shown in the pictures (click on them to view them full-size). You can leave these as-is, or load them up with whatever goods you wish. See later for some of our offerings for loads for the cart.

Next comes our Farm Wagon. This one is pre-loaded with a load, but can be modified to carry whatever you like. This would usually be drawn by a horse or mule. These would typically be used to bring produce to market, also doubling nicely as a stall from which to sell the items.

Note that none of these carts are "vehicles" in the SL sense - they won't move and they don't have animations attached to them. They are intended to be used as static props.

So if you want to decorate your region to make it a tad more rustic, what better way to do it than with these wooden cartwheels? We have two sizes to choose from (with me being the "attractive product model" to give you an idea of the sizes). You can lean these against the side of a building, or sink them into the ground slightly.

And lastly we offer several types of loads that you can stack on the ground, or put onto one of our carts. The first is the one that we used on our farm cart - it has the look of bundles of twigs surrounded by netting. We also have three different configurations of wooden crates with different writing on them, and a stack of wood blocks (not pictured here), that could be used for a building site.

We hope that these items give you some new ideas and inspirations about how to make your corner of the Second Life world more realistic, a place you can proudly call your "virtual home".

Please take a tour of the Hosoi Mura project on the Japan Kansai sim, or see the products I have described in this article at the SLURL http://slurl.com/secondlife/Japan%20Chubu/137/145/801/ (this will put you at the landing spot, but follow the red arrow to find the location of these items).

Technical stuff: The handcarts are 21 prims each, the farm cart with load is 22 prims, the wheels 6 prims, and the various loads mentioned here are between 1 and 3 prims. All are sold Modify/No Copy/No transfer, but if you buy the complete set of all Props, those are Modify/Copy/No Transfer.

As always the Hosoi Ichiba team looks forward to seeing you in-world.

Torley takes photos

2009-05-28T22:09:00.002+02:00

Torley Olmstead, aka Torley Linden, the man who amplifies our awesome, took a wonderful picture of one of our Akane-Maru Sampans and published it. Thanks, Torley!

Check it out on this Koinop page

The Great Wall of China revamped

2009-05-20T11:55:00.011+02:00

Hello friends,

We have great news. We have moved the China Sichuan region with the Great Wall of China into the Hosoi Island Cluster. Also we have revamped the complete scenery and retextured all terrain surrounding the structure. The scenery of the islands Japan Kansai and China Sichuan now connect seamlessly and provides romantic spots with stunning views. Come over and enjoy today!

Just received, hot off the presses. The Great Wall of China on China Sichuan is now featured on the Linden Labs Showcase pages! Next stop, Japan Kansai ;-)

Champagne for everyone!

Ami

A Gift for you, our Friends

2009-05-05T21:22:00.006+02:00

We at Hosoi Ichiba like our customers to be happy! In order to contribute to this, we have put together a mystery box for you called the "Hosoi Soshina", which means "little gift". Every week we will place a "Golden Soshina" in a different location in our main store for you to "discover". Also every week the contents of the "Golden Soshina" will be updated with a new high quality item. In the "Red Soshina" which can be found at the entrance to our market, or on XStreetSL, you will find a landmark to our main shop. Follow the landmark, find the "Golden Soshina" and enjoy your gift.

Tip: You can give the "Red Soshina" gift box to your friends and loved ones as a present. Not only will they enjoy the full permissions gift box, but they can take part in the hunt, too.

Note: Only the "Golden Soshina" contains a gift worth at least 500 L$.

Please do not tell anyone the location you found it... it's our little secret!

Hanami - Spring Festival

2009-05-01T20:42:00.006+02:00

We would like to extend an invitation to you and your friends to attend our Hanami (花見, "flower viewing") festival.

Spring, and the cherry blossoms, is a much-loved time in Japan, so it gets celebrated in fine form! It will typically feature traditional dances, tea ceremonies, and celebation of mono no aware, the ephemeral nature of being alive.

The sakurazensen (桜前線) or blossom forecast looks particularly good this year in the Japan Kansai sim, and in Hosoi Mura preparations are underway to celebrate!

On Saturday 2 May at 3pm SLT, dancers from Yoshiwara and two other okiya (Painted Sea and Nakanoshima of Hosoi) will be performing on a wide stage. Using texts, music, sets and group dancing geisha, you can learn more on the spring and seasonal traditions in Real-Life Kyoto.

Please join us for this celebration. As always, if you have traditional japanese wear, it would help add to the atmosphere, but please do not feel obligated. If you would like to purchase a kimono (male or female), we suggest (of course!) the ones we sell. Check them out in this blog article.

We look forward to seeing you there. And don't forget: 花より団子 (hana yori dango)!

Update from masumi Manamiko:
"For technical unforseen reasons, the location of the spring festival show of today changed. It will be held at the kabuki theatre at Little Yoshiwara. Sorry for the little inconvenience."

Introductory Video for Hosoi Mura

2009-04-20T21:06:00.004+02:00

Lainy Voom has produced a wonderful video machinima introducing the Hosoi Mura, with narration by Gala Charron. It can be seen here. For those of you who haven't visited us there yet, hopefully this will encourage you to do so very soon!

Thank you Lainy for the video.

Featured Product - Kansai Island Houses

2009-04-20T00:14:00.014+02:00

This is the first of several planned articles about the various buildings and features of the new Hosoi Mura. We wanted to provide more options in terms of regular homes of a consistent period, so that while there is variety and individualism in the buildings they all conform to a consistent "feel". As always we recommend visiting the buildings themselves in-world to be able to really experience them in context, to walk around through the rooms and get a feel of the place - a description here can not do it justice. All of the houses featured in the Hosoi Mura are on the "Japan Kansai" sim, which is part of our new role-play initiative to provide an immersive traditional Japanese Roleplay experience, so you might well find the homes furnished to give you a realistic "showroom" example of how this house could look.

The first set of buildings we would like to feature are the so-called Kansai Island Homes. The Kansai region (関西地方 Kansai-chihō) also known as the Kinki region (近畿地方 Kinki-chihō) lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region is the cultural and historical heart of Japan with 11% of its land area and lays claim to the earliest beginnings of Japanese civilization. It was Nara, the most eastern point on the Silk Road, that became the site of Japan's first permanent capital. This period (AD 710-784) saw the spread of Buddhism to Japan and the construction of Tōdai-ji in 745. The Kansai region also boasts the Shinto religion's holiest shrine at Ise Shrine (built in 690 AD) in Mie prefecture.

This is a series of three houses, all pictured in the photos here, each including an Irori-style fireplace as a housewarming gift from us. They reflect the aesthetic of the Edo period and the Kansai region of that period. They are copy, modify and no transfer in order to allow you to modify and customize and to build your own Kansai Edo-style village or town.

The dimensions for each house:
1: 87 prims with an 18x12 footprint
2: 92 prims, also with an 18x12 footprint
3: 121 prims with am 18x18 footprint.

Second Life Examiner visit the Wall!

2009-03-24T13:16:00.008+01:00

Erik Gordon Bainbridge, in his SL guise of Apollo Manga, visited us and interviewed the management team yesterday. What follows is a lovely article about the Great Wall on Examiner.Com. You can see it here: http://www.examiner.com/x-4734-Second-Life-Examiner

Thanks Erik Gordon - we look forward to your future visits!

Blog Review - Virtual Neko

2009-03-18T15:12:00.005+01:00

Virtual Neko, a blog covering all sorts of aspects of Neko life in SL has a really nice article of an experience and inspiration that one of the residents had when visiting our China Sichuan sim and the Great Wall during the winter season. Read all about it at http://virtualneko.com/2009/02/22/lady-snowblood-neko/

Event Announcement - Geisha Show - Edo Period

2009-03-11T17:59:00.008+01:00

To celebrate the opening of our new Edo-period village - Hosoi Mura, the Little Yoshiwaya Okiya (Geisha School) will be presenting a show featuring items from the period. As usual we can expect music, dance, poetry and a fascinating way of learning more about the culture.

So please join us on 14 March at 3pm SLT on the Japan Kansai sim for this fascinating show. As usual, we suggest visitors wear something asian-themed, but don't insist on it. If you don't have anything suitable, may we suggest our own line of Kimonos, for male and female? If you choose not to dress in asian style you will most certainly still be welcomed!

We look forward to seeing you there.

Announcing Hosoi Mura

2009-03-07T15:52:00.005+01:00

We have some exciting stuff to announce. It's so big, in fact, that it will be spread over several blog posts in the coming weeks. Amiyru has been cracking her whip and her team of virtual builders have been hard at work on the Japan Kansai sim building a place that we are naming "Hosoi Mura". Mura is a word for an Edo style japanese village, and that describes this perfectly. The intent is that we will build a community of role-players who wish to live in a place that evokes that era of Japan.

The Edo Period, or Tokugawa period of japanese history ran from the 17th to the mid 19th Centuries and is regarded as the start of the early modern period of Japan. It was a period of stability in the country, inspired by the Confucian principles of social order.

During this period, the Mura was a self-governed community, led by a shōya, or village head. This was after the period where the samurai ruled the communities - local administration was taken over by the daimyo. Often these villages supported small industries, with each family taking over the responsibility of one industry.

Society was divided into four classes, or mibunsei. In order of seniority, the Samurai, Peasants, Craftsmen and Merchants. In this era of Japan, the individual had no rights - the family was the smallest legally recognised entity.

What we have in Second Life is a complete village with all the buildings and add-ons that belong. Please come and visit us and take a walk along the streets, find all the hidden corners, and soak up the atmosphere.

Future blog posts will highlight the individual buildings of the Mura, and the products that are for sale to help accessorize a build like this.

A new milestone - Solution Provider

2009-03-05T02:32:00.003+01:00

We are pleased to announce that the RL company behind the Hosoi Ichiba, Parrot Interactive Media, and its in-world counterpart SimScouts, has been awarded official Solution Provider Status for the Second Life Virtual World. Our page is here. It's very nice to get some recognition from Linden Labs for the work we do, so to be added to the directory is an honour.

SLBlog - Exploring Solution Provider Projects

2009-02-26T16:15:00.003+01:00

Imagine how surprised and pleased we were to see a picture of our little corner of SecondLife featured on the new official blog! The article is an introduction to the Solution Providers and, while it doesn't mention us by name, and we're not (yet!) an official Solution Provider, it does provide a SLURL.

So a big shout out to Madhavi Linden for including us on the blog!

New Machinima - Soliloquy of Rice

2009-02-25T16:27:00.000+01:00

Virtual world machinima producer Machitopia have produced a brand new machinima piece they have uploaded to YouTube called "Soliloquy of Rice" that has the ichiba as one of its settings.

What's in a Name?

2009-02-24T15:50:00.013+01:00

Sorry about the late notice on this one, but some of you may have noticed that we have changed the names of some of our sims in order to more correctly reflect the nature of what we have...

So gone are the old "Virgin Island" sim names. We now have some much more asian-themed names.

Here are the old and new sim names:

Hosoi Ichiba New Island Names

Old Name	New Name
Virgin Island	Japan Kanto
Virgin Island 2	Japan Chubu
Virgin Island 3	Japan Kansai
Mao	China Sichuan

It looks like SL is good enough to still recognise landmarks that you have taken, but we're not sure if that is permanent or temporary. Might be a good idea to update your bookmarks anyway!

Second Life of My Dreams Article

2009-02-21T14:47:00.004+01:00

Resident Chestnut Rau loves to explore the world of SL. Recently her RL counterpart visited Japan for a while and loved it. Now she has returned, she says that she visits the Hosoi Ichiba when she feels "the tug of Japan". She votes it "One of SL's Coolest Places". Check out the complete article at http://slofdreams.blogspot.com/2009/02/one-of-sls-coolest-places.html.

Thanks for such a lovely article, Chestnut!

Auction issues

2009-02-21T14:40:00.003+01:00

Just to let you know that we've been having some issues with the auction software so have suspended the weekly auctions until we can get them sorted.

In the meantime, though, we have been working hard on building our town. Another more detailed blog post will follow at some stage, but it's meant to be the framework for a future role-playing environment. Come visit and take a wander through the streets!

Secondlife Newspaper Review - Happy New Year Again

2009-01-31T18:38:00.004+01:00

Thanks to everyone to came to help us celebrate the Chinese New Year! A great time was had.

Friend of the Ichiba and regular Tai Chi practitioner Gemma Cleanslate has written a lovely review for the Secondlife Newspaper of our recent Chinese New Year celebration featuring the Little Yoshiwara Geisha School. She has some pictures from the event too. You can see the article here.

Thanks, Gemma!

This week's auction - Furniture Set and Large Pagoda

2009-01-30T18:40:00.006+01:00

This week's auctions feature two landmark items from the Hosoi Ichiba, one large, for those of you with prims to burn, and one furniture set that will surely provide you will some luxury in your place.

The Large Pagoda is the one that can be seen at the back of the Ichiba, opposite the entrance. This imposing multi-storey building acts as perfect landmark for your sim, providing a focal point for gatherings and worship. It has permissions set to Copy, Modify and No Transfer, so you could take this and customize it to your heart's content. We wrote more about it in an earlier blog article.

The furniture set comprises all the pieces you can see in the picture (excluding the walls and carpet!) - all very finely detailed dark wood with a lush material. Permissions on these items are Transfer, Modify, No Copy, so it would make a wonderful present for someone who just got their place set up in SL.

As usual, the bidding will start at noon SLT today (Friday) and end noon SLT on Sunday. The bidding area is at the Ichiba Landing point, to the right, as you face the gate. Happy Bidding!

Happy New Year! An Invitation to Celebrate with Us

2009-01-27T18:05:00.012+01:00

This post celebrates the Chinese New Year - the start of the Year of the Earth Ox!

Unlike the "western" New Year, the chinese celebration starts with the New Moon (正月), and end 15 days later at full moon with the so-called Lantern Festival - Yuánxiāojié (元宵節). The festivities are a time of thanksgiving and reunions of friends and family, and was often celebrated with a religious ceremony in honour of Heaven and Earth, the household gods and the ancestors of the family. At this time a sacrifice is made to the ancestors to reunite the living with those that have passed on. A dinner (weilu - literally "surrounding the stove") is set at the family dining table, and both tthe living and the ancestors attend to celebrate together.

To help celebrate the incoming Year of the Earth Ox (己丑), Hosoi Ichiba is very proud to host another Geisha show by our friends at the Little Yoshiwara Geisha School. Judging by past shows, this will be an eye-catching, yet educational, glimpse into Chinese culture, often featuring poetry, music and dance. It will take place on Thursday, January 29 at 3pm SLT at the specially-constructed stage within the Ichiba walls

As always, we encourage visitors to come in traditional asian costume, to further add to the feel of the place, but if you do not wish to, you will still be made welcome. One word of caution, though, please try to avoid clothes in black and white, as black is a symbol of bad luck, and white is a traditional Chinese funeral colour.

So Gōngxǐ fācái (恭喜發財) to everyone. This year is starting out generally on a difficult note, but the Ox signifies that we can prosper through hard work.

An interview with the Owner

2009-01-26T20:27:00.003+01:00

The Website SquadVillage recently interviewed Amiryu, owner and mastermind behind the Hosoi sims. In it, she talks about her start with the Second Life virtual world, and the history of how the business grew into what it is today, with a glimpse into her vision for the future. You can read the article by following this link: http://squadvillage.blogspot.com/2008/12/merchants-insl-we-interview-amiryu.html

SocialMedian article shows the Great Wall

2009-01-25T20:34:00.003+01:00

Looker Lumet has written a nice article with beautiful pictures of his visit to our Great Wall which has been published on SocialMedian, a new social networking news site, as well as his own blog. You can see the article here: http://www.socialmedian.com/story/2609186/the-great-virtual-china-wall

Travelogue - My Moveable Feast, Part Deux

2009-01-24T20:42:00.001+01:00

Once again, Friend of the Ichiba Yordie Sands has blogged about her recent winter visit to our islands while they were decked in snow. You can read about it here: http://yordiesands.blogspot.com/2008/12/expeditions-getting-around.html

Auction Item: Samurai House

2009-01-15T16:25:00.010+01:00

Our first item available in our new Weekly Auction is an absolute doozey. (Click on the images for a larger look.)

This is the larger of our two Samurai houses. It is a two-storey building with two downstairs "living" rooms going right and left off a central entryway, providing a front and back entrance. There are also two joining upstairs rooms (I like to think of the upstairs rooms as an "inner sanctum"-like bedroom and a dressing rooms outside). A wooden walkway (or patio) surrounds the house, and the roof overhangs some of this area, making it a great area to sit out an enjoy the view.

Traditionally, the Samurai (侍) were the military nobility in old Japan. The name, when translated, implies a servant, but these served their noble masters, and we far from common servants. They followed a code known as Bushidō (武士道), or "the Way of the Warrior", which focused on the principles of Rectitude (義, gi), Courage (勇, yuu), Benevolence (仁, jin), Respect (礼, rei), Honesty (誠, makoto or 信 shin), Honour (誉, yo), and Loyalty (忠, chuu).

This house is not a replica of any specific RL house, but is based on general research as to the styles used at the time. The materials used do not reflect any militaristic theme, so you are free to decorate it according to the tenets of your own Second Life.

It can be visited in-world at the SLURL : http://slurl.com/secondlife/Japan%20Kanto/83/150/30/

Permissions are Modify, Copy, and No Transfer so you can take this and style it however you choose.

We wish you luck in your bidding on this item, which will start at noon SLT this Friday, 16th January.

Announcing the Hosoi Weekly Auction

2009-01-15T16:09:00.008+01:00

These are tough times for the economy. Many in Second Life are feeling the pinch, financially. Hosoi Ichiba would like to do something to help you get an item that might otherwise be outside your price range for a potential fraction of the cost!

Each week we will announce an item that will be going up for auction, starting at Noon SLT on the Friday. The item up for auction will be one of our regularly-available items and the bidding will start at a small fraction of the sales price.

Visit the auction site, which is just to the right of the Ichiba Landing area, outside the wall, and see the item and place your bid. If you get outbid you will receive an IM notification, and that will allow you to visit again and bid it up, should you wish to. Here is the SLURL to the site.

The auction will close at noon SLT the following Sunday, so the auction will only be available for 48 hours. One item will be sent to the highest bidder.

News about the auctioned item will be available on this blog, and in the Hosoi Ichiba in-world group (if you are not a member, it's free and open to join, or ask any staff member for an invitation).

The next post will give details about this week's item.

New Product: Japanese New Year Traditions

2008-12-25T20:16:00.009+01:00

In keeping with the time of year we would like to introduce three new items that we have put for sale at the entrance to the Ichiba (right at the Landing Spot) that are part of the traditional Japanese New Year (正月, shōgatsu) Celebrations.

In Japan, in the Shinto belief system, coming up to the New Year is a time to clean house, prepare osechi foods. This is to help greet the Toshigami (年神) or the year-spirit.

The first item we have available is the Shimenawa (標縄), a traditional braided rope made of rice straw. It signifies ritual purification in the Shinto religion. Often they are adorned with Shide (紙垂), a zig-zag shaped paper streamer, which you can see on the above picture. Place this above the main door to your dwelling, to keep away evil spirits and to show the presence of the Toshigami. Our version can be re-sized to fit the space above your front door.

The other two items are kadomatsu (門松) - literally "gate pine". These are placed in pairs in front of a dwelling to welcome the kami (神), or ancestral spirits of the harvest. We have them available in two sizes.

Our own personal nengajō (年賀状)

2008-12-24T17:20:00.004+01:00

We are reaching the end of what has been a wonderful year for the Hosoi Ichiba and related companies, and as the snow flies over our islands, and a white coat covers the ground, we would like to reflect a little on the year past and look forward.

At the start of the year we were a fraction of what we have now. Amiryu has been coming up with fantastic new builds that have really caught the attention of our visitors. We now have a major tourist attraction in the Great Wall, and the lands around the walled Ichiba are now filled with villages, gardens and some of the loveliest sights in the Second Life world.

And we have had some really nice compliments from our visitors, who have found their own place for meditation and reflection in the many paths of our islands. Our Machinima Competition was a huge success, and together with the Flickr group really shows how others see the world that we have put together.

We have received some wonderful feedback about the Geisha shows that the Geisha School at Little Yoshiwara put on for us, and we now offer some Japanese Language lessons. We hosted a wonderful Cherry Blossom Festival in aid of the Relay for Life Charity - it was a lot of work, but the concept very much fit the place and what we stand for.

It hasn't been without its frustrations, of course - our quest to find good animators continues, in the hopes that one day we can have fully-functioning Sampans and Rickshaws, but are happy that our sedan chair got completed. The economic downturn has hit everyone in Second Life, of course, which has brought its own few challenges.

So at this turning of the year, we'd like to thank each and every one of you who visited us, talked with us, bought our products, blogged about us, took pictures of the places. We hope you continue to stop by and help create the friendly, positive atmosphere that seems to have grown.

What will the new year hold? Christal Balls are notoriously unreliable, but we hope for many "firsts". We would also like to see more people visiting us who want to be a part of the feel of the place - role-play in a way, but not hardcore. This includes trying to establish a Geisha School - more on that in a future post - and having people who want to spend more SL-time in a traditional Asian environment actually have a place to BE in Second Life. Empty sims, while sometimes pretty, lack the life that we would like to see.

So yoi otoshio omukae kudasai to you and yours from the Management Team at the Hosoi Ichiba!

Amiryu Hosoi
Kalderi Tomsen
Nani Yifu

Buying presents for the celebrations

2008-12-21T23:23:00.003+01:00

We have noticed quite a few visitors to the Ichiba looking for Christmas Presents for friends. Now, if the items are Transfer, it's easy, but please remember that you have another option if the item is marked "No Transfer"

Nearly all of our items are for sale on XStreetSL and can be gifted to another Resident. Please see our links to the left for specific links to search results, or just search for "Hosoi" on the site.

Good luck with your shopping for the season!

Another Wonderful Review - Second Edition

2008-12-15T15:23:00.004+01:00

The website SecondEdition has done a wonderful piece on the areas surrounding the walled-in market, including our villages, and they say they will do one on the market itself. Not quite sure who wrote it, but thanks! The complete article can be found at http://secondedition.wordpress.com/2008/11/08/the-japanese-fishing-village-hosoi-yu-ch%E2%80%99un/.

Flickr Group - now over 500 photos!

2008-12-01T20:37:00.004+01:00

Back in March we announced a Flickr group intended to showcase the "photos" that various visitors to the Ichiba and surrounding lands have taken and upload to the Photo sharing site called Flickr.

Well, we are proud to say that we have now over 500 pictures submitted to the group. Some are just "snapshots" that people have taken, some obviously have more significance (and are almost romantic), some are pure works of art.

We encourage everyone to take a browse through the group, and get even more inspiration by looking through other people's eyes. If you have taken a photo of the Ichiba, please feel free to submit it to the group. If you are a Flickr user, I'm sure you know how, otherwise just contact me.

The group is located at http://www.flickr.com/groups/685024@N20/

Transportation in Style!

2008-11-16T00:55:00.013+01:00

One of the biggest challenges in the Second Life environment is that of effective transportation, and we have spent a long time trying to perfect this. Finally we have something to announce!

Presenting the Hosoi kago. These litters, have been used over the centuries in various countries around the world, including several asian countries, including Japan (kago, 駕籠), China (called minjiao (民轎) or guanjiao (官轎)), India (pahlki or palanquin), Korea (gama), England (Sedan Chairs). In each case they were used to transport the nobility and was very much a status symbol.

As in the real world, these vehicles require two people to lift them (the front person controls the direction and speed of travel) in addition to the person sitting in it. Ours come with realistic animations (those things are HEAVY!) and are available in two styles - Asian from the Edo period and Gorean.

The Edo period litter is Royal lacquered with gilded wood and metal. It is fully-scripted, drivable and comes with a rezzer. You click the rezzer to (temp) rez a new litter for your trip. Touching the carrying poles at the front and back puts the carriers in position. Touching the zabuton (cushion) causes you to be carried. The sliding doors can be clicked on to open and close them.

Once everyone has stood up, the litter will disappear.

They are copyable, not modifiable and not transferable. Set one of these up in your asian sim to allow your visitors to travel in style through your region.

Song of the Palanquin Bearers

Lightly, O lightly we bear her along,
She sways like a flower in the wind of our song;
She skims like a bird on the foam of a stream.
She floats like a laugh from the lips of a dream.
Gaily, O gaily, we glide and we sing,
We bear her along like a pearl on a string.
Softly, O softly, we bear her along,
She hangs like a star in the dew of our song.
She springs like a beam on the brow of the tide,
She falls like a tear from the eye of a bride.
Lightly, O lightly, we glide and we sing,
We bear her along like a pearl on a string.

-- Poem by Sarojini Naidu

Blog Review - The Best of Second Life

2008-11-12T13:48:00.003+01:00

The deliciously-named Broom Andel, with assistance from Demoiselle Denimore, has written a lovely review of the Ichiba and the Great Wall on the blog "The Best of Second Life. You can read it here.

Thanks very much, Broom and Demoiselle, and we may well start work on that Panda! ;-)

Announcing a New Range of Clothing

2008-11-09T19:44:00.030+01:00

One of the main things that people notice when visiting traditional asian sims are the wonderful bright range of clothing that is around, adding such a swath of colour to the scene.

Now we would like to add our contribution to the products available, by expanding our products to include some clothing for you, a range we are calling Hosoi Fashion

We have kimonos in many colours, both for men and women, plus getas (traditional shoes) in intricate designs.

The kimono (着物) is the national costume of Japan - literally-translated it means "thing to wear" and was used for any clothing, but is now typified by the full-length outfits that we all know. The left side is always worn over the right, except for funerals, and the obi, or tie, is usually at the back.

The thing that makes the kimonos so special are the textiles that are used to make them, and for that there are broad ranges.

There is far more detail about the traditions and part of a kimono in the excellent Wikipedia Article on the subject. Please click on the images for a higher-resolution image where you can see the details much better.

We also have a line of geta (下駄), the traditional clogs or flip-flops that go with the kimonos. We offer 10-piece set set which is scripted and comes in 5 different styles, 1 Zōri (草履), 2 Okobo, and 2 Geta. Each have scripted Hanao (鼻緒, straps) which can be clicked on to choose from up to 12 designs. The appearance of each are of high quality inlay and silks, which can be matched to whichever kimono you choose to wear.

You can also buy the individual sets Aki (Autumn), Wara (Straw), Goisagi (Herons), Koi (Fish), Chuushuu (mid-Autumn), Mayonaka (midnight), Kokkai (Black Sea), Hana (Flowers) and Inlays.

For more detail, check out our OnRez or Xtreet listings or find our Vendors within the walls of the Ichiba.

Event Announcement - Geisha Show - The Great Wall

2008-10-09T15:32:00.009+02:00

The Little Yoshiwara okiya, in co-ordination with Hosoi Ichiba, is proud to announce the latest Geisha show, which will feature educational pieces on The Great Wall of China, its history and culture, and culminate in a guided walk around Amiryu's latest SL masterwork.

The first show that the okiya presented to us was a masterpiece of beauty and information - visitors were swept away by the atmosphere. This time, students of the SL geisha school, thanks to their artistic skill, will be taking us along on a journey through the history of the Middle Kingdom.

It will take place today (Thursday October 10) at 2pm SLT at the Hosoi Theatre Shiata (please see SLURL in the "Links of Interest" sidebar).

We hope to see you at the show.

A New Tourist Attraction - The Great Wall

2008-10-08T19:36:00.010+02:00

This is the first of two linked announcements. An event connected with this will be announced shortly.

We always advise people who visit our little corner of the SL world to not just spend their time within the walls of the market, but to get outside and to "smell the Lotus", as it were. Well, those of you that have been willing to venture further afield than the existing pathways documented in our earlier article have been rewarded by our latest project, the Great Wall!

Amiryu started this project with the financial help of a RL benefactor, using over three thousand pictures pictures from the original Great Wall of China (长城 or Chángchéng) as a reference, to build a sim-wide version of one of the most impressive historical structures the Real World (tm) has to offer.

The Real world version was built between the 6th and 16th centuries, started during the Spring and Autumn Period (春秋時代 or Chūnqiū Shídài) of history to protect the northern part of China from Xiongnu attacks.

(And, in the category of "trivia you can use at parties", the statement that the wall is the only human construction that is visible from space is actually an urban myth.)

As to our interpretation of the classic construction, you can enjoy it on the China Sichuan sim. You will land in our visitor's reception are, and then walk across the bridge to one of the gates in the wall. Form there you can climb on top of the wall and walk around the full wall, enjoying the ocean views.

And some (of course) have asked whether the wall is for sale. Yes, of course, if you have a sim that has enough prims to be able to handle the whole thing. If you would like to caputre the flavour of a part of the wall, without the full thing, you can buy individual components of the wall, which are Modify, Transfer and No Copy. For more flexibility you can buy a builder's pack, containing all 30 of the building elements that you can see. These are Copy, Modify and No Transfer. A raw terrain file of China Sichuan island is also available from us by special request. Please follow this link for the item's entry in XStreet SL (the old SLExchange).

For all products in the range, search XStreet SL for the term "hosoigreatwall" and you will see more details and prices.

OK enough of the business side of things, please come and visit us on China Sichuan, and message one of the management (Amiryu Hosoi, Kalderi Tomsen, Nani Yifu) in-world if you have any questions.

We look forward to being able to greet you on your walk along the Great Wall!

Recognition for Hosoi Machinima Contest Winner

2008-10-08T17:48:00.003+02:00

Further recognition for Nitwacket's winning entry to the 2008 Hosoi Machinima Award is a nomination for screening it at the Machinina Festival. There are 24 finalists, to be whittled down by vote to 12 that will be shown at the festival, based on a popular vote.

So if you would like to see this video screened at the festival, please go to the location at Rezzable.com and vote for it.

The Hosoi Theatre Shiata

2008-09-24T17:55:00.011+02:00

We have a wonderful new addition to the Virgin Island chain - an open-air theatre! First used for our recent Geisha performance, this theatre is now available for your production.

Japan has a long history of the theatre, of course, the arts of Noh (musical drama) and Kyogen (farce) go back to the 300s. Kabuki (drama with elaborate make-up) and Bunraki (puppet shows) came along later. Whether your plans are for one of these traditional japanese artforms, or just a place for a lecture or musical performance, we would like you to consider our setup. Media streams can be set up according to your needs, and temporary rez permissions can be granted, as necessary. For the time being, this service is free-of charge, on the understanding that the organisers will make the audience aware of the nearby Ichiba and encourage visitors to also visit it. Please give us at least a week's notice if you would like to use the facility.

So if you are looking for a traditional asian location for a production or presentation of yours, of a low-lag sim, then please get in touch with us. As you can see from the picture, the stage comes with five "noren" backdrop curtains which provide a clean, stylish backdrop if you production does not want to provide one. We have 2 QMX high resolution light systems that give 4 menu-driven follow spots that will follow the performers around. IM Kalderi Tomsen, Amiryu Hosoi, or Nani Yifu or speak to any of our sales associates in-world to get more details and to work with us to set up a date for your event.

We have set ours on our sim within our new wall elements, providing an enclosed intimate areas for performances, along with the mountain behind it as a backdrop.

Please see the older item on this blog for a video taken during the geisha show.

Of course, as everything we have, the theatre is for sale. At 160 prims, and a 10x20m footprint, it provides an interesting focal point for any asian-themed sim that would like to stage events. The items comes with Modify and Transfer permissions, so that you may customize for your preference.

A link to the SLURL for the theatre is available in the panel on the left of this page.

Featured Product: Buddha Statues

2008-09-12T22:49:00.011+02:00

Some of you may have seen them during your visits to the Ichiba, but now we'd like to feature them on the blog.

Namely, those wonderful Buddha statues!

Buddhism was first introduced to Japan from the Kingdom of Baekje on the Korean Peninsula, but was then more heavily influenced by the chinese to form the Japanese flavour of the religion. This included the use of sculptures.

Through history there have been many different schools of Buddhism in Japan. For details, please see the Wikipedia Article on the subject. Today there are four major schools - Amidist, Nichiren, Shingon and Zen.

We feature three different high quality buddhas in our catalogue. The first we call the "Old Gold Buddha", the second, the "Shiny Buddha" and the third the "Rusty Stone" Buddha. Each are made with our usual attention to detail and would be a perfect feature in a Buddhist-oriented sim.

Each statue is full mod, and can be resized up to 15 meters in heights. Also, as a suggestion, you could take just the head and submerge it into the ground, to appear as if a long-lost civilization was buried deep beneath your sim. If you look carefully in the Ichiba area you might just find one!

Travelogue: My Moveable Feast

2008-09-03T14:30:00.005+02:00

SL Resident Yordie Sands has written a really nice article in her blog, My Moveable Feast, about her visit to the Ichiba.

Thank you for your kind words, Yordie! We are glad you found the place enjoyable to visit and hope you come back soon. Oh and thanks for the link to this blog!

Event Announcement: Geisha Show

2008-09-02T23:57:00.015+02:00

The Yoshiwara Oikya Geisha School is going to present a very charming event this coming Thursday at 3pm SLT in our brand new theatre.

The Okiya (置屋) is a training school for women wishing to learn about, and practice, the art of being a geisha. Students are not only schooled in the geisha arts necessary to perform the role professionally in SL, but will also be taught about the history of geisha and important aspects of Japanese Culture.

Students pass through three ranks: Minarai, Maiko and finally Geisha, based on performance of their duties, and their dedication to the Okiya and her sisters.

Please join us at the theater for an exciting journey into the Land of the Rising Sun (SLURL is in the "Links of interest section"). We hope that this will be the first of many events giving us insight into Japanese culture as well as entertainment. If you like, wear traditional Japanese or east asian clothing to add to the mood, if you have any, but please do not feel obligated to do so.

UPDATE: Here is the Second Life's coverage of the event:

We'd like to thank the performers, Masumi Manamiko, Lezlie Latte, Celeste Upshaw, Miyofuku Honig, Sayuri Mimulus, Isis Siemens, Erin Kass, Aiko Thei and Sorasu Romano for such an enchanting presentation.