Namaste my onii-chan. Hello cybernaut, welcome to this journey through a forest totally full of trees and a lovely sky. This is a Japanese forest, I know because it has many similarities to the ones I have seen in anime, although it could also be a forest in China. It is a sacred place full of paths and deviations in which anyone could easily get lost. But apart from being that, it is also a spiritual place where you harmonise with all that is divine and beyond the gaze and the earthly plane. Welcome cybernaut, I welcome you to the Forest of a Thousand Bamboos.
What an exquisite and wonderful day for a tour of the Asian forests. I may never get the chance to physically visit one in my lifetime, but that doesn't stop me from doing it in the synthetic world. As I said above, there are trails that even Jason from Friday the 13th couldn't memorise (and he loves forests). But don't worry, this place isn't that big, so we'll gradually find our way around.
On entering we are given a cup of tea to enjoy the wonders of the place with something hot. In case you didn't know, this drink is a tradition for this nation, both in their daily life and in ceremonies. For when there are celebrations such as weddings or important meetings, it is customary to serve it. This can be seen a lot in anime. In the forest there are also stones on which you can sit and listen to the faint sound of bamboos rustling, or listen to the footsteps of other visitors on the ground. In itself, the sound is something that will captivate you.
It was not only full of beauty, but also full of people. It was not an exaggerated amount of visitors either, but those who were there stayed for a long time and that reflects the purpose of this place, (to make you fall in love). Everyone has a cup of tea and drinks it while walking or while simply standing somewhere and admiring the scenery. As for example in this case: I found a couple of people having their drink by the seashore.
This is another reason why I know it is Japanese. That Threshold you see on the screen (or arch), is called a torii. Although if I'm not mistaken, they are also called that in China. Well, this threshold is very important in these places, as they are the division between the earthly and what is felt with the spirit. They are placed at the foot of the temples and serve to mark the division. At the end of them it is usual to have a temple. My understanding of these is that they are used to bless, make wishes, or feel a spirit, whether it is a family member or an acquaintance, although in anime I have always seen them used for family members. However, I do know that they have other very important uses.
As I was walking along, I saw another silhouette in the distance. This tourist looked very pleasant looking at the sky, he looked so comfortable that I accompanied him to be in the same sling as him. The silence between the inhabitants is very natural, but there is no need to talk because the forest itself is the one who whispers things to us with its enchanting atmosphere. Here words are superfluous.
Walking and walking, I hit one of the trees, and realised that I could climb it. If I could climb a tree then I figured I should be able to climb a bamboo, and so I did. It was hard to do at first because you have to have some precision to hold on, but when I was at the top, it was worth it. From the heights I could see the passers-by and as they were still in the same place where I saw them for the first time, that means that they were still idiotised by what they were seeing. From the top you could also see the torii gates and, of course, the whole map.
As you can see, everything is full of bamboo canes, "hence the nickname". Being up there is totally different from being down there. As always, I have small suggestions to make the experience even more unique. For example: the place has a lot of lamps that adorn the paths, I think that if they had made the game with a night atmosphere, these lights would stand out even more, because the brightness that they emanate at night would surely be unique.
Japanese and Chinese torii temples and forests are crazy. In real life, there is a forest that is also nicknamed in a similar way, the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, from where I have stolen the name, and what better than that, as this one is also full of them, (of course, that one is a thousand times more beautiful). These forests are sacred, they are super respected and to desecrate them is to mess with something very delicate. They must be respected. Today I have done something called shinrin. This means: to go into or immerse yourself in the ecological nature of these forests. We all like to do shinrin and it is a necessary thing to do. It's like being locked in your room and finding yourself, but in nature it's much better.
Now I'll show you some other lovely pictures I took.
I felt as if I had been in a real temple, so even if it was in a synthetic way, it was a totally realistic experience in most aspects. And tell me cybernaut, have you ever seen a forest like this, I have not. I hope you enjoyed this relaxing spiritualist session, and I invite you to take a walk through these thickets to connect a little with nature. I hope you enjoyed it, see you later, bye!