Kyoto Corner

For as long as I can remember, I have been completely obsessed with Japan's beautiful architecture - from Tokyo's breathtaking skyscrapers to the small cute houses of the suburbs, and it is my biggest dream to see it all with my own eyes one day.

I also grew up playing with Lego and something I always wanted to have was a big  model of somewhere in Japan, with details I could get lost into...  Many years later, that finally happened (kinda of, the set is virtual, afterall).

Anyways, for this creation I wanted to capture the feel and look of Kyoto's old streets - so basically I walked around in Google Map's Street View for a couple of days and then spent the next year slowly putting 'Kyoto Corner' together.

From right to left, we start with a private bath (known as an Onsen), that features a waiting room on the first floor and the bath itself on the second. From vending machines, to an old wornout sofa to a complete traditional bath, this module is small, compact and maybe my personal favorite.

At the Onsen's left, we have cute little traditional and cozy Teahouse, that is internally connected with the biggest of all four modules: The Flower Shop - filled to the brim with details on all 3 floors.

And finally we arrive at the Ramen Shop, complete with a counter and many places to sit, as well as a kitchen module, ready to make that delicious noodle soup. However, that's not all that happens in the far left corner of our build... Tourists might even miss it, but if you know what you are looking for and go through the small door between the Flower and the Ramen Shop, climbing up the creaky wooden stairs, you'll find yourself in a colorful, loud and crazy Arcade, with all games one could dream of.

Now, I know this set is gigantic and even though the 'modular' system helps the build process, I don't believe it can be released as an official Lego set as is... A slightly different, more compact and less detailed version of it could however end up on your local toy store shelf - and boy that would be cool!

The reason why I have not included minifigures is because I think of this as a very detailed display model and not really a playset, but it is minifigure scale, so they can be added for sure!

If you also have a love for Lego and for Japan like I do, please consider supporting this idea! It means the world to me.

Thank you very much!