Lately I’ve taken to checking out some of the places listed under “Showcase” in the Search tab. I’ve found some really incredible sims and nearly doubled the number of files in my snapshots album.

And I’ve also found the Virtual Stomach Museum.

According to the description in Showcase, which classifies the museum under the “learning” category, “In this virtual Stomach Museum, visitors will learn the basic morphology of gastric disorders, including stomach ulcers and cancer.”

Hey, they had me at “Virtual Stomach Museum” – who could resist the pull of a name like that?

So off to Hoshi Island I went. I’m not sure what a virtual stomach museum should look like, but I wasn’t expecting beautiful trees and plants and decorative bridges. Nestled into this pastoral setting was an open design, clinical-looking building with pictures of stomachs.

Yes, stomachs. It’s somewhat reminiscent of a CSI: autopsy scene; there are macro shots of stomach ulcers and stomach tumors displayed for your viewing pleasure.

Having had several friends and family battle various forms of cancer, I’m certainly not going to knock a place that’s trying to educate and enlighten. But putting up graphic photos in a beautiful Oriental garden setting is a little incongruent.

The tour, if that’s what you want to call it, starts with a model of a stomach neatly labeled to show you which parts are what. There are a couple of info boards there which are mildly informative, though they seem to have been written by a non-native English speaker – some of the phrasing might sound a bit strange to American visitors.

From these displays, you wander out into a courtyard of sorts. It’s got cute little tables and Japanese lanterns and flowering trees, perfect to sit and spend some quality time with your sweetie – well, except for those stomach photos, which feature some lovely pics of gastric carcinoma.

In all seriousness, the Virtual Stomach Museum is a great place for anyone dealing with stomach disease or cancer to get some facts. And if you’re facing serious illness or are close to someone who is, the tranquil setting is a nice alternative to a hospital or clinic build.

And if nothing else, it’s worth a trip just for the oddity of it all.