BLueBLue Posted August 2, 2021 (edited) Island Shrine After multiple trips, there's only one place in Japan I went back to on every occasion I had: Eikan-dō Zenrin-ji temple in Kyoto. The garden, the colors, the view from the mountain side, and that lake. This place made me feel so remote and calm... This is my attempt to convey this. This MOC is only inspired by the view I remember, not aiming to be accurate at all and taking only a few details from other shrines elsewhere. Album Island Shrine on Flickr There are a few illegal connections here and there, but I don't care, I was aiming for the looks. For instance, I wanted the torii to have slightly angled pillars. As for the build, it all started with the candle stand and the bridge. I then built and rebuilt the island and shrine multiple times, before moving on to actually setting up the bridge and shore. Work in progress pictures can be found there: https://imgur.com/a/kseldcB. It's my very first MOC ever, it took a lot of time, trial and error, but I'm proud of the result and would gladly take some advice if you have some. I submitted it to the Summer Joust 2021, "asian setting" category, as it was still open for entries when I uploaded this to flickr yesterday. I hope you like it and thanks for looking! Spoiler Here are some pictures of the actual place. I used my own pictures as reference. The last time I went there I specifically took some pictures with that MOC in mind. Edited August 2, 2021 by BLueBLue Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
karmajay Posted August 2, 2021 Beautiful, thanks for sharing! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wurger49 Posted August 2, 2021 Love how you built the bridge! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Feuer Zug Posted August 4, 2021 Stunning. The tranquility of the shrine can be felt even in the pictures. Love the water flowers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Servertijd Posted August 6, 2021 This is your first MOC? Well done sir. Lovely scene, and that inspiration photo is really great aswell. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jtooker Posted August 7, 2021 Wonderful vegetation! I like seeing all these plants and flowers not in most LEGO MOCs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BLueBLue Posted August 8, 2021 Thank you all for the nice thoughts! The hardest part for me probably was making the ground interesting enough while looking neither completely bland or illogic, especially on the shore under the trees and on the island itself. Color choice was an issue... As I'm totally inexperienced with landscaping, this took me probably far more time than it should have. Tips and pointers are welcome! I shamelessly stole some ideas directly from 80107 Spring Festival as well (bamboos and some lily pads), though I already had a similar design before that set came along. Yes, I had this MOC in my head for more than two years, and essential details like bamboos, the bridge and the roof were tested and built for that long, while waiting on part orders. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BlackGloveBricks Posted September 24, 2021 I can almost feel the sea mist splashing my face as I cross the bridge towards that tiny island shrine. I've always loved shrines. And islands. So this MOC combines two of my most favorites things ever. Thanks for transporting my mind and soul to a different, more beautiful place. Even if it only lasted for a few moments. I will never forget the sensation. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
