Right after I visited Hiraya Township, in Heterocera (mainland), and wrote about it, the place underwent a major reform. Though some parts remained the same, the central area around the train station has been completely redesigned, which makes a big difference for the whole complex. I noticed some changes, too, in the village of Amakura, linked to main Hiraya.
The modifications in the central area seem to go in two directions. On the one hand, they underline the Youki River and Youkigawa Park around it. Together with other green areas in the region, Youkigawa Park balances the urban aspect of the sim in a way that integrates nature with the town area.
On the other hand, the very urban side of the region seems enhanced in new Hiraya. The town in the central area around the train station looks more developed and more complex than before.
The train station itself was renovated and looks more integrated to the city ā which is particularly interesting, since the railroad seems to be one of the main attractions of Hiraya.
In Amakura, some buildings were moved from one area to another and more than a couple of items were added. Still, the place feels more or less the same as before. I mean, the changes are noticeable, but they don’t really change the whole impression that one has while visiting the village.
For me, the changes reduced lag, which seemed to be one of the main motives for revamping the sim. Also, they made Hiraya even more exciting and captivating. It’s great to have such a place in Second Life’s mainland.
Second Sighting 
“Heterocera (mainland)”
Hi Ricco, while it’s true that Heteroera is one of now 9 mainland continents, it’s a bit misleading calling it just mainland. This is for many of the geographically uneducated resis still, and exclusively, the old mainland continent of Sansara.
Why don’t you call Heterocera not just by its name … or “the Atoll Continent” as which it is also known.
“the railroad seems to be one of the main attractions of Hiraya.”
Oh, and also this is no wonder; many parcels and townships are gathered around the train stations as Heterocera was already planned as a traffic-biased continent with a huge net of tracks and stations and roads.
Hi, Orca, I didn’t know that some people would consider Sansara as the one and only mainland continent, thanks for the tip!
Sansara was the first, and for some time, sole mainland continent of SL. It was either you lived on mainland or on an unconnected island. Nowadays we have 9 or 11 mainlands so we should be more specific in regard of locations.
This is all considered as “mainland”:
http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/List_Of_Continents
Hi Rico, I enjoyed the post. Looks like I need to revisit this location. What the area is called historically, just adds a bit more context. It’s all mainland to me and always worth exploring. Thanks and stay well.
Hi, Rocky, I’m glad that you enjoyed this post. Hiraya is really worth exploring. It’s always good to visit the traditional Second Life’s continents and enjoy the gems that they exhibit. Take care, my friend š