Visiting a Japanese shrine for Christmas in Second Life

The last time I wrote about WQNC – formerly Wo Qui Non Coin – the series of region designs I’ve been dropping into every so often since 2021, I’d no sooner published than the setting had poofed away into the ether. So, having caught a Christmas Day invitation from Maasya, the brains behind the various WQNC builds, to pay a visit to the latest WQNC build, I’m hoping to get this article out so that there is enough time to visit between me publishing and the setting vanishing!

With each of his builds, Maasya presents some new and different in tone and theme for the last for people to explore, photograph and generally appreciate. With this design, he appears to have taken his inspiration from a combination of sources, notably the Mishima Taisha shrine (at least, going by his comments on the Twitter-circulated invitation to visit), and Japan’s rugged (and oft snowy at this time of year) uplands and mountains. The result is a setting with a genuine sense of coldness about its climate, together with a suggestion of mystery as it lies amidst tall trees and rocky outcrops.

The geographic sense of the location is that of a gathering of low islands set within a lake enclosed by tall peaks, isolating it somewhat from the world at large. Perhaps the islands had once been a single hump of rock rising from the lake, but over time – possibly aided by earthquakes – the water has split the mass with narrow channels to form a large island which cups its V-shaped form around two smaller, but equally predominantly flat-topped isles, the smaller of which remains physically connected to the largest by a heavy arch of stone the water has burrowed under.

Massya appears to offer two landing points for the setting – one of which may have been left-over from a prior build (as none are strictly enforced), so I’m going to go with the one supplied in his invitation to visit. This delivers visitors towards the south-east corner of the region, and a point where steps descend into the waters – or would descend into them were it not for the fact the lake’s surface is frozen – as if providing a place to draw into with boats, reinforcing the sense that this is an island retreat.

Snow has partially obscured the broad paved walkway leading away from the landing point, but such is the width of the path that even without the huge Torri gate straddling it, it is hard to miss. Sweeping across the island’s arm, the path meets with an equally broad bridge spanning the narrow channel separating the main island from the larger of its two siblings. Beyond the bridge, which is supported by what are clearly man-made additions to the banks of the channel, the path marches onwards, its route marked by lanterns, banners and further huge Torii gate standing guard above a set of steps climbing over a low lip of rock.

Prior to reaching the bridge, however, the path is joined by a smaller one as it emerges from a conga line of smaller Torri gates as they snake across the landscape, packed so closely together so as to almost for a tunnel under which the path runs. At their far end is the first of a number of smaller shrines awaiting discovery within the region. Its doors are closed, but they can be opened on touch to reveal an unexpected find inside, whilst the path continues onwards and to the left of the shrine, to march on to where a little sake stand affords those who need it with the opportunity to fortify their innards against the surrounding cold and warm their digital extremities in the heat being radiated by its bright stove.

Meanwhile, the main path crossing the landscape continues onwards from the second large Torri gate to reach a stone bridge and steps which respectively re-cross the channel separating the two larger islands and climb to the square of the temple / shrine proper. Three buildings occupy this space: a small, stove-warmed hut offering a place to sit out of the cold and similar in style to one sitting a little back from the main path as it makes its way to the square; a larger (and cosier) coffee house; and the main shrine itself.

The latter is still a relative small building, but very well presented in terms of the lighting used (non PBR-enabled users should make sure Advanced Lighting Model is active via Preferences → Graphic in order to fully appreciate the lighting here), and impressive in what lies within to receive visitors (it’s not Buddha or anyone like that!).

Two further paths lead away from the shrine’s square. The first offers a direct path over that arch of stone to reach the smallest of the three islands, and the Samurai-guarded little shrine that sits at the end of it. The second path is bounded by dry stone walls and lit again by lanterns as it passes through the surrounding trees before taking a sharp turn to the right to follow the island’s shoreline to where paving once again passes under red-painted Torri gates before arriving at a veritable field of katana blades, their tips spiked into the ground and stone, seeming to block the way between wall and icy waters and stand between those who walk the path and the shrine lying at its end.

Caught within a cold haze and snow falling from an overcast sky, the WQNC Shrine offers an engaging mix of ancient and modern, imbuing itself with a sense of both age and history. The dry stone walls suggest this is a place that has long be used down the years, even if the buildings found across the islands are not necessarily of a great age in themselves. Meanwhile, the stoves, seating and the like found within the various rest houses all point to very modern influences, whilst the main temple / shrine adds a futuristic twist to everything, thanks to the floating point-lights and the very sci-fi leaning cage lights and neon-edge lanterns, and the Omikuji racks present a nice traditional / seasonal touch given the time of year.

In other words, Massya again presents a place which makes for a worthwhile visit, but which is – again be warned – here for a limited period of time. So to avoid disappointment, best you visit sooner rather than later!

 SLurl Details

• WQNC Shrine (Bamboo Caye, rated Moderate)