Making a Japanese themed island is almost a no-brainer when it comes to Animal Crossing: New Horizons as there are so many Japanese themed furniture and items in the game. To throw everything into the mix, there are also many custom designs you can use to jazz up your simple panels, signs and stalls. You can choose an ultra-urban setting, or you can also choose a natural or even traditional vibe. But there are a few mistakes you may be making - or not notice you are making. Are you guilty of any of the below...?
1. Not understanding the signage
A little bit of Japanese used in signage looks amazing and there are so many talented custom designers out there who have uploaded their custom stall designs and whatnot available at your Ables Sisters' Kiosk. You might go a little overboard and save a whole bunch of them, and then use them and place them around according to how you like them looking (be it in terms of colour, or variation). Unfortunately a lot of players are a bit guilty in the respect that they can't actually read the language and end up doing something like putting a bamboo steamed basket set with a stall labelled "fruit". *awkward chirps*. Yep.
It's probably a good idea to make sure that you are using the right signage and placing the correct items so that you don't do it "for the sake" of it. If you really want to have a Japanese stall, please do a little bit of research (ask if you need, there are heaps of social media platforms to do this, and a little bit of help is always available!) so that you don't place the wrong items.
2. Mixing Japanese items and oriental furniture set
I'm a little bit particular when it comes to furniture sets, but oriental is most definitely not Japanese. I mentally flip tables when I see on Facebook people suggesting Pekoe as a great "Japanese" villager when she is clearly a Chinese bear. Some items are appropriate, but not all are. For instance, the oriental screen is one I would be reluctant to be using for a Japanese theme as there are so many screens you could use instead. Another item I wouldn't use is the dining table with the lazy susan on top. That's definitely a yumcha table, and that only really belongs in one section of your island- Chinatown. Otherwise, if you are doing a Chinese theme, you can place it everywhere.
This is the same when it comes to outfits and music - please think twice.
3. Less is more
I know we all get excited when we have a million furniture items we'd like to place, and it looks really amazing and bustling. But apart from the first glance, what else? Maybe I'm not really an advocate for clutter-galore, so you can feel free to disagree, but when I see a takoyaki stall I don't really want to see a random traditional tea set on the table for the sake of it. The tea set and takoyaki really don't go together. It's a bit like putting a lobster at a mini diner to resemble a KFC. Okay, that was farfetched, but you get the gist of where I'm headed.
4. Not understanding the original intended usage of the item
Possibly an extension of #3 and #1 above.
While I haven't seen anything too bad yet as an example to give, the bamboo steamer is probably the game's biggest culprit as it is shaped more as a yumcha/ steamed buns steamer basket, which is something used more in Chinese cuisine than Japanese. I sold all my steamer basket sets once I decided on a Japanese theme as they literally did not belong anywhere on my island.
All the rules above actually do apply to any themed island really, but as a Japanese theme has cultural obligations, "inspired" to me just isn't really enough. You will need a solid cultural understanding rather than just a mentality that it 'looks good'. I'm not Japanese myself, but I do get a little low key offended when I see mistakes that fall into the above categories. I think I don't like to have cultures generalised as one lump - each country has their own set of customs, to assume or assimilate them lacks a bit of sensibility, and is a little insensitive to me.
Having said that, this is a laid back game and you are all free to do whatever you want, but if you do choose to centre an island on a cultural thing, please do a bit of research, use stock photos or Google maps even, and these can all be a great help so that you are on the right track.
Have you been guilty, or have similar thoughts, but perhaps for a different theme?
Yours,
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