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So the Old Moon guild is currently organizing classes to teach the citizens of BDO to fight, fish, hunt and gather? Great! 
Well, in the Land of The Morning Light, another school has been providing different kinds of lessons for a while now.

Perfect timing to present you with my take on the Shimhyangje.

It's been a labour of love. 

(This is my first video. My very first dabbling in Adobe After Effects. What an adventure.)

Kitanhi and Kitsunhi, woosa and maegu twins of the Morning Light, welcome you to their hearth and home: The Sakura Shimhyangje.

For many centuries, Donghae province has been well known for producing some of the finest waifu’s that have ever graced the world of Black Desert. It’s indeed in Dalbeol village, that the twins Kitsunhi and Kitanhi were born, raised, and spoilt with love by Auntie Maksoon.

Destined to one day take over the family business (after the tragic passing of their mother) and having gone through extensive waifu training themselves, the twin sisters now manage the Sakura Institute for Aspirant Waifu’s. Home to many girls looking to be schooled in the finest arts and crafts, music, gastronomy and even science. Girls who stop attractive men that cross their paths with just a bat of their eyelashes. Reputation well precedes the prestigious institute. Many of the young women who graduated from the Sakura Institute, are now wives and companions to some of the most mighty men allover the land of the Morning Light, and far beyond its borders.

Care to tag along?

Let’s start off our visit with a relaxing stroll through the blooming sakura gardens of the shimhyangje.

Since the start of the big renovations under the twins’ management, the girls in training have planted and tended to 208 Bristlegrass, 128 Little Rosebay, 144 Little Angelica, 98 Mugunghwha, 16 Deep pink Azalea, 18 Light Pink Azalea … and a whopping 275 trees, shrubs and topiaries that now blossom in this beautiful garden. Cleaning 148 fences every week? A work of art and lots of patience.

Fortunately, connecting with nature is wholesome and it’s sort of a stress-reducing mindfulness that the girls seem to enjoy. And hey, the physical activity is great for maintaining their slim appearances.

On top of the many sun soaked benches, the gardens are also host to an array of different performances. The Pagoda Venue, for example, is not only an open stage for the waifu’s in training, but also often welcomes traditional pungmul, nongak and gukak musicians from allover the Land of the Morning Light. Quite a spectacle indeed, especially on Lunar New Year. During Seollal, families and villagers flock to the gardens to perform various rituals and ceremonies. The prime moment for the young ladies of the Sakura Institute to showcase what they have learned over the past year in an impressive display of dance, singing, and musical performances.

Obviously, being taken aback by the startling landscape behind the pagoda, many waifu’s and their spouses-to-be choose this venue to tie the knot, as they graduate from the institute and welcome the transition from their concubinial to their nuptial phase in life.

It is known that beauty is but an empty vessel without an active brain to accompany it. It is also known that a sharp tongue and quick wits add a lot to the delight of a waifu’s company. That’s why the aspirant waifu’s are encouraged to develop skills in communication and are able to fluently debate actuality or political topics. Critical thinking, understanding diverse perspectives and how to subtly influence them, conflict resolution and informed decision making…. it’s all part of the long journey to being a fulfilled waifu that these girls are on.
And it all happens here, in the debate corner.

The gazebo of worship is usually a place for quiet introspection or meditation. During Jesa, a memorial ceremony is held here to honor the deceased ancestors of the girls who have no family left to return to or no means to do so. They pay their respects by offering food, drinks, and incense.

But the gazebo is not all gloom and doom, it’s also the center stage of a graduation ceremony, where debutant waifu’s are publicly introduced to the world for the first time.

The other side of the garden area is much less about festivity and much more about daily routine, as most of the girls’ exercise and combat training takes place there, as well as their lessons in outdoor baking, grilling and botany.

The giant bell is a remnant from a previous era, when an ancient temple still stood tall and proud at this location. Nearly everything was destroyed by an all-consuming fire, but the bell remained somewhat intact. After acquiring the plot of land, the ancestors of the Jadefyre family chose to restore the bell to its former glory and incorporate it into their home, much like a shrine of time past. Nowadays, the old bell rings true every morning at the crack of dawn, waking up all the girls from their peaceful slumber as the new day kicks off.

The patches of fertile soil around the tower were carefully planted with fresh vegetable produce, berries and medicinal herbs.

Not many of the waifu girls aspire a career in martial or magical arts, but retaining an active lifestyle and being able to defend oneself in times of peril, is important. That’s why combat training is an inherent part of the curriculum taught at the Institute. The workout terrace is also used for morning gym, yoga and outdoor dance lessons when the weather permits. As it turns out, it’s also the favourite place of many girls to soak up some extra vitamin c and get a nice tan during breaks and weekends.

One of the most important parts of being a successful waifu, is knowing how to prepare mouthwatering dishes that will leave their spouses well satisfied, all whilst keeping their own slender figure in shape. That’s why the Sakura Institute invests a lot of funds and effort into providing only the freshest and healthiest ingredients and the most modern kitchen appliances. Kitanhi manages the public tavern called ‘Beauty and Bites’ for the girls to master and show off their cooking skills to other waifu and their guests. Villagers are welcome, too. All food is prepared inhouse by the lovely aspirant waifu’s in training.

And since the reputable owners of the Sakura Shimhyangje have always been treated with much respect from the surrounding villages, the Institute is adamant to return that favour by donating the leftover dishes that weren’t consumed during the day and the excess produce from the gardens and orchards to the soup kitchens in neighboring townships, for those poor malnourished souls unable to feed themselves. Nothing goes to waste!

Rumor has it that the art of grilling is strictly a man’s business, but at the Institute, they like to keep an open mind. The waifu’s learn to prepare the most tender grilled meats and fish kabobs. During the day, one often gets greeted by the smell of fresh bread, coming from the outdoor ovens. In the evening though, it’s all about roasting marshmallows over the crackling giant bonfire.

Carefully planted and maintained around the mansion and on the fertile mounds between the reed fields, we find the family’s orchards and the fruit trees. Truly nothing like a sunny morning breakfast on the outdoor patio with a fresh citrus or orange juice, straight from the source.

Thanks to the breathtaking backdrop view, the terraces are also very popular by waifu’s inviting their love interests over during the weekend for a romantic, homemade picnic.

Time to head inside, classes are in session!

All the obvious physical assets aside, a cultured mind is one the waifu’s most sexy features. The Institute doesn’t raise empty shells.

In the Ink and Elixir lab, the girls are taught in many different subjects. Art and calligraphy to develop creativity and expression, finetune motor skills and nurture cultural appreciation. Scientific subjects are taught for the aspirant waifu’s to understand the natural world and for health literacy. And obviously being proficient in alchemy grants the girls a massive boon when it comes down to healing and curing ailments, concocting love potions or even pursue research to perfect the recipe to immortal beauty.

In the chamber of spirit, the girls nurture the psyche, rather than cognitive knowledge. In order to understand human behavior and thinking patterns, one must first and foremost understand feelings, desires, ethics, morals, memories, and perceptions. Through history, theology and interfaith dialogue, the waifu’s learn about what drives and motivates society to act on certain impulses or beliefs. Having knowledge in these areas allows them to shape communities, nations, and the world at large.

Music is life, and life is love. That’s why the waifu’s are encouraged to actively participate in music and singing lessons. Music played by a waifu who masters her instrument well, always touches the heart strings. At the Sakura Institute, the girls can pick traditional shamisen, gayageum or percussion, but also modern instruments like piano, harp, flute or bass can be taught. Even after the sun has set, the window panes of the music room remain open, and the bonfire soirees can be accompanied by delightful music.

The library at the Sakura Institute is the source of all Waifu knowledge but primarily promotes independent learning. Nothing screams focus louder than the scent of lofty books!! But the room serves another purpose as well. It’s in this library indeed, that the girls are taught extensively in ceremonial tea and barista expertise and hone their hospitality skills.

Last but not least: the sleeping quarters. Most aspirant waifu’s have a lovely home to return to every evening after classes. But some don’t, and some have traveled across many continents or even seas to partake in life at the prestigious institute. The sleeping area consists of 5 separated, private spaces, each with two beds, cupboards and personal desks. Pets are allowed, if they are litter trained, are comfortable being caged at night and don’t cause a ruckus during the day!

The girls at the Institute are responsible for their own upkeep and hygiene. Yes, those 370 sets of cutlery, plates, pots and dishes don’t clean themselves. And the floors, furniture, study equipment and 10 dozens of luminaries don’t dust themselves off either. Let’s just say that a good night’s rest at the Institute is earned, not granted ;)

This way, all graduated waifu’s are fully capable of taking care of their own homes and households in the future.

This concludes our tour of the institute.

Thank you for watching!

@PA hear my plea, please, we need another event to acquire more cherry blossom pots for our houses!! And personally, I've been waiting for many years to see the Zen furniture return to the pearl shop (or via old moon crafting recipes) !

I applaud you for your patience to put this together :D Well put together as a post too! Out of curiosity, how long did it take you? 

Haha, oooooof... many, many weeks :)

But part of the fun is crafting the furniture and seeing a room come together! One paintbrush and one bristlegrass at the time. 

cute

holy moo moo cow, Beautiful job on your manor! I really love what you did with the elixir lab room espically the placement of the hanging lanterns c: 

Impressive!