Japan's 'Nukumori no Mori' (Forest of Warmth), a shopping area in Hamamatsu, resembles an English hamlet with adorable little cottages covered in green.
Nukumori no Mori, located in Shizuoka Prefecture is a diners and shoppers retreat. Curbed is calling the little commercial village an 'ersatz hamlet', where stone hut-like structures with shingled roofs stand tucked away in lush greenery. Some people are also comparing the place to 'Ghibli Studio', the famous anime movie studio, reports Kotaku.com. Others are calling it a fairy tale or a town right out of the game 'Ni No Kuni'.
According to its official website, the place was conceptualized and built by architect Sasaki Shigeyoshi, who envisioned a unique setting for the place. The unique shopping area consists of a mini gallery, a classic garage museum and a miscellaneous goods shop among the usual restaurants, cafes and bakeries.
The website also has a map of the village. Check it out below:
While Nukumori no Mori still generates some buzz, many other attempts at faux-architecture have failed. For example, the Chinese town of Tianducheng complete with a replica of the Eiffel Tower has not generated much excitement. The facsimile city remains deserted, just like many other urban developments that are now dubbed 'ghost cities'.
China has also tried to convert the outskirts of Shanghai into an amalgamation of three English cities - Bristol, Dorset, and Chester, reports Buzzfeed. The country also replicated the Austrian town of Hallstatt.
Maybe we can expect a 'Statue of Liberty' on the Huangpu River soon!
