I posted a similar thread about the mountains a while ago, now it's time for the next destination!! I never really got that interested in the base Takemizu Village destination to be honest, it felt the least thought out of the three, which is a shame because the Far East destination more generally seems like it has a lot of potential. So similar to the thread for the mountains generally, what makes a Far East destination feel worth visiting, what locations would you particularly enjoy having more of to visit in that kind of setting, and what other aspects of the game beyond BV content would you think would be especially fun to include in a Far East destination?

(I'm currently very slowly filling my Mount Hyaltitoud terrain map in with a more modern-day urban and Miyazaki/Ghibli-inspired take on a Far East destination, FWIW)

Maybe it's just "special interest go brrrrrr" but Takemizu is my favorite of the locations. But it would be nice to have some proper shrines--I've tried to build one a few times and never gotten it quite right. Especially the Inari shrines with all the gates and the cute fox statues.
A proper ryokan would also be nice. I actually don't remember whether there's a hotel with a hot springs on the lot, but it would be lovely to have one built around the experience of the hot springs, rather than one that just happens to have one out back.
Also one of those tiny little ramen shops--either where you sit and eat at a counter where you're actually sitting outside or one that's small and just counterspace. Oh, and yata! (I think that's what they're called) Essentially a small room that's just one table with room for 6-8 people to sit around and eat together, and then one side of the table has the counter to the little kitchen space. Though that may be a bit challenging for sims' sense of getting around things.
A place for geisha performances/dinners might be nice too, come to think of it. Another thing I meant to build but never did.

I love sending my sims to the Far East, and my knowledge sims love it too - the others enjoy the visit, but it is a mecca for knowledge sims.

1. Sims can learn to teleport if they give the Ninja (if they are lucky enough to meet him) a correct answer. That means that Sims will teleport autonomously when back home, when they feel like it (which can be quite entertaining).
2. Sims can find the map, and the old man will tell the Dragon Legend. Back home, they can tell the legend to other sims, and can gather a following on community lots.
3. Sims can learn to do Tai Chi - and teach it to other sims back home.
4. Sims can learn to bow - probably my favorite vacation gesture. (It can be hilarious when an extrovert sim who has not mastered the bow keeps trying to bow to sims walking by)!

From my point of view as a player, I think the following will work:

A public swimming pool. One of the hotels has one, but there is no public one, and sims generally enjoy swimming.
A sport ground. Even some knowledge sims like sport. You see them playing kicky bag and tossing football often enough when not controlling them.
A performance venue of some kind. It will be nice if there is an open space for sims to perform without instruments (some of them are very good at it).
More bars and restaurants because I like them
A very nice fishing pond. Fishing ponds may be one of the best venues for sims to meet and interact. Not too many other activities there either; a food stand, a photo booth, a tea table should do and some playground equipment for the kids should do.

I've built a 'kind of' Inari shrine in my game lately (just guarding dogs, no fox), and I'm almost satisfied with the look of it - the problem is that if it's a 'proper' shrine, this community lot is not very playable in Sims 2. I can't build a public restroom there because it's unclean for a shrine area. I can't build any eatery next to, because I never saw eateries next to a shrine. All the entertainment objects/possibilities are very limited on a shrine lot (unless you use CC festival items, but are they interactive?). In the end I mostly just used it for keeping my sims' gravestones here and I put a coin-toss shrine and a wedding arch inside the shrine building, but without restrooms, food, and coffee, visitor sims couldn't spend much time on the lot.

An onsen could be built properly though, I think... maybe... I never tried that.

But what I really miss in Takemizu and I never had the time to build it is the modern environment - gas stations, offices, warehouses, small boxy residential lots, etc.

Well, I been to all the destinations and seen almost all the things (I don't think I've actually moved in Bigfoot, . Never had an interest, honestly) so now when I take vacations, I try to make it more about relaxing and getting away, taking advantage of the stopped clock/time difference between hoods, or just a quick honeymoon, etc. And I have to say I have a new appreciation for BV after spending some time in TS3 and using WA.



So, with all that said, the Far East is my second favorite location for my sims to vacation at. I do really like the aesthetic, art, and buildings and a lot of the little things you can do. Like I said, nowadays I don't really try to collect the vacation mementos, but that doesn't mean I don't have my sims do all the touristy things! I do have my sims visit the shrine and take part in a tea ceremony--some times I have them dress up in kimonos and take pictures doing the tea ceremony or raking the zen garden. While I almost always get my sims some new clothes on vacation, Takemizu is really the only place where I allow my sims to buy stuff similar to the local garb. I also usually do a spa day on vacation and Takemizu is no exception. You can really go all out and have your sim go on a retreat. In fact, there's an idea--I think I might like to build a resort/rehab center where sims get away and work on themselves or where companies go on corporate retreats.

Anywho, I love Tai Chi! Its only faults are that it's too attractive and of course that the locals don't do it often enough. But otherwise it's a great way to exercise and it boosts your mood while you do it, iirc. I also have my sims play mahjong--it can take a while to win and get the memento, but after experiencing TS3, I can appreciate that there's an activity a group can do together.

And I have to say I think the Wise Old Man is the best BV npc. He is usually the one to teach my sims Tai Chi and the Dragon Legend is very pretty and cinematic. It's a great spot to visit even when the hood you're playing doesn't have supernaturals or magic. Of course the ninja is there to teach sims to teleport if I do want a little magic in my sims' lives.

All in all while Twikkii is probably my most visited location, that's probably more because I feel like sims can visit the beach more easily than taking a trip to Takemizu. I save the Far East for my richer, upper class sims.

As for what else I'd like in the hood, well, I always like more places to visit, even if they're just landmarks or touring spots. I think if I were renovating the hood I'd like more shrines and an abandoned palace for my sims to visit. Shame we didn't really get stuff to act out plays because I could see a theater in the Far East, especially one combined with the tea table. I could see my sims drinking teas while watching a dance or play. And more restaurants to eat out at is always nice--I know I love to eat out on vacation. A sushi restaurant or a Benihana-like restaurant would be cool. And a casino would fit too--sims could play high stakes mahjong, if there is such a thing.

Relevant to all vacation hoods, but has anyone made a mod that allows you to choose the amount of time spent on vacation instead of having to pick one of Maxis' options? I know that you can set it to any number in SimPE, but I wondered if someone had made an ingame mod or even a way to freeze time if you want to get more vacation.

I haven't seen a mod to let you change it on the fly, but Gummilutt does have a mod to change the vacation lengths here. You can also change the flight cost with it.

Ohhh you know what else? One of those big parks full of cherry blossom trees where you can just go and look at the cherry blossoms.
Shame there isn't an effect where the petals fall. And you can't spread out a blanket and have a picnic on the ground. But still.

Ooh, nice. Thanks!

Since I'm making my gradual far East destination also a much more urban vacation destination, I guess I'll also ask specifically what aspects of a Far East location would you think would be especially interesting in a modern, urban setting (think at least a few skyscrapers downtown)

That's a tough one as I didn't see the Far East as a city location. But museums and theaters work well in an urban setting. And a shopping center would be nice. I like to shop when I'm on vacation and I'm sure my sims are no different. And you could mix it up--a vertical mall, or a market with lots of street food or a center mixed with shops and food stands. Since you mentioned skyscrapers, at least one should have an observatory/restaurant where you can look out on the city.

And then what sort of landmarks would be there? Like is there an old historical train station that doubles as a mall, museum/landmark and active transportation hub? I live in NYC and Grand Central is both a normal station for locals and a tourist site. Or maybe it's the stock exchange that's the historical landmark. Idk. Don't most cities have have their landmarks mixed in, or have a really old building that has now become a landmark and sight-seeing destination? So what was in your Far East hundreds of years ago before it became the city it is today? Was it the seat of the empire? Vacation spot of nobles? Holy worship site? Was it a trading hub or key production hub? Knowing those sorts of things helps me plan buildings.

I always think of Takemizu Village as a more "grown-up" vacation. I don't have a lot of families with children go there, but usually romantic getaways for couples. Unlike the other vacation destinations, the activities in this hood are more calm and relaxing, like the zen garden, the tea ceremony, and tai chi.