東方Project: Complete Encyclopedia

東方Project

Tōhō Purojekuto · Team Shanghai Alice

The Complete Encyclopedia

"In Gensokyo, even the impossible is merely improbable."

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Volume I

The World of Gensokyo

The Nature and Creation of Gensokyo

Gensokyo (幻想郷, literally "Land of Illusions") is a secluded realm sealed from the Outside World, a pocket dimension nestled in the mountains of Japan, serving as a sanctuary for supernatural beings: youkaiSupernatural beings from Japanese folklore. In Gensokyo, their existence is sustained by human fear and belief; without it, they cease to exist., spirits, and gods who were fading from modernity as human belief in them waned. Without faith and fear, such beings cease to exist; Gensokyo was created to prevent this.

Approximately 500 years before the events of Embodiment of Scarlet Devil, the youkai sage Yukari Yakumo orchestrated the creation of the Hakurei BarrierThe metaphysical boundary sealing Gensokyo from the modern world. Created by Yukari Yakumo ~500 years ago; maintained by the Hakurei shrine maiden's bloodline., known also as the "boundary of phantasm and substance," which physically and metaphysically sealed Gensokyo from the Outside World. The barrier also naturally attracts beings and objects that have been forgotten or rendered obsolete by civilization.

Gensokyo's stability depends on a delicate equilibrium: youkai require human fear and belief to maintain their power, while humans require protection from youkai predation. The Hakurei Shrine maiden serves as the fulcrum of this balance, tasked with exterminating troublesome youkai while preserving the overall population. This symbiotic tension ensures neither side overwhelms the other.

Notable Locations

Hakurei Shrine

The boundary between Gensokyo and the Outside World. An underfunded shrine at the edge of reality, maintained by its sole resident and incident-resolver.

Reimu Hakurei

Forest of Magic

A dense forest where magical energy concentrates unnaturally. Dangerous to ordinary humans; beloved by magic practitioners who thrive on its ambient power.

Marisa Kirisame · Alice Margatroid

Scarlet Devil Mansion

A massive Western-style manor beside Misty Lake, sealed in perpetual twilight. Incongruous with Gensokyo's Japanese aesthetic, and all the more imposing for it.

Remilia · Flandre · Sakuya · Patchouli · Meiling

Youkai Mountain

A sacred mountain governed by a strict tengu hierarchy. Kappa occupy the rivers below; the Moriya Shrine stands at its peak since relocating from the Outside World.

Aya · Momiji · Nitori · Kanako · Suwako · Sanae

Hakugyokurou

The Netherworld: a realm of cherry blossoms and ghostly calm. Connected to the living world by the Saigyou Ayakashi, a youkai cherry tree sealed beneath its grounds.

Saigyouji Yuyuko · Youmu Konpaku

Bamboo Forest of the Lost

An enchanted grove that disorients travelers, concealing Eientei within its depths. The moon-rabbit physicians and lunar exiles have hidden here for centuries.

Kaguya · Eirin · Reisen · Tewi · Mokou (nearby)

Former Hell (Underground)

An abandoned subterranean Hell repurposed by outcasts. Lit by the nuclear fire of Utsuho Reiuji, it roils with geothermal power and ancient resentment.

Satori · Koishi · Rin · Utsuho · Parsee · Yuugi

Human Village

The primary settlement of Gensokyo's humans. Protected by treaty and the watchful presence of Keine Kamishirasawa, who guards its history as zealously as its people.

Keine Kamishirasawa · Kosuzu Motoori

The Spell Card Rules

A pivotal development in Gensokyo's history, the Spell Card RulesGensokyo's formalized combat system: named, declared attacks replace lethal conflict. Lets youkai demonstrate power without killing, preserving the human fear they need to survive. transformed conflict from genuine extermination into ritualized contest. Following an incident involving the vampire Remilia Scarlet, youkai requested that Reimu Hakurei formalize a battle system that would preserve their relationship with humans by demonstrating power without crossing into true lethality.

The rules allow even weak youkai to challenge powerful opponents under fair, structured conditions. Crucially, they allow youkai to continue inspiring the fear necessary for their survival without actually killing humans. The Hakurei shrine maiden retains authority to use lethal force when truly necessary, but in practice, Spell Card duels have become the dominant form of conflict resolution.

Duels are conducted using named, patterned attacks called "Spell Cards," each declared before execution
Both parties agree to rules before combat begins; no ambushes, no lethal escalation
Defeat acknowledges superiority rather than resulting in death
Even a weak youkai may challenge an overwhelmingly powerful opponent under equal conditions
Youkai may demonstrate and preserve their power without harming the humans whose fear sustains them

Volume II

The Protagonists

霊

Hakurei Reimu

博麗霊夢

Species Human (Hakurei Miko)

Abilities Flight · Yin-yang orb manipulation · Innate divine purification

Residence Hakurei Shrine, border of Gensokyo

First Appearance Highly Responsive to Prayers (TH01, 1997)

Role in Every Game Protagonist A, appearing in all mainline entries

Biography

The shrine maiden of the Hakurei Shrine and the central protagonist of the entire series. Reimu is Gensokyo's primary incident-resolver, the first called upon when something disturbs the land's fragile equilibrium. She appears in every game to date. Despite possessing extraordinary natural power, she has never formally trained; talent, she believes, renders effort unnecessary. She spends peaceful intervals drinking tea, napping, and avoiding anything resembling work.

Personality & Philosophy

Reimu exhibits a fascinating paradox. In incidents, she is ruthlessly efficient, dispatching youkai and humans alike with impartial precision. Yet she harbors no genuine prejudice against youkai; she will help or attack anyone depending on circumstances, treating all parties with the same detached pragmatism. She forms few genuine bonds; even allies remain at arm's length. Strong youkai appreciate her uncompromising nature; weaker ones fear her unpredictability.

When no incidents occur for extended periods, Reimu grows irritable, suggesting that she genuinely enjoys extermination itself, not merely the duty. She approved the Spell Card Rules at youkai request, ensuring the continued codified relationship between the species.

Appearance & Symbolism

She wears the traditional red-and-white hakama of a shrine maiden, modified with detached sleeves, a detail that became an internet meme after the IOSYS track "Waki Miko Reimu." She carries a goheiA Shinto purification wand: a wooden rod hung with folded paper streamers (shide). Used in shrine rituals; Reimu wields it as both combat weapon and spiritual instrument. (purification rod) crafted by Rinnosuke Morichika and wields yin-yang orbs in combat. Her attack repertoire features homing amulets, spiritual waves, and the "Fantasy Heaven" ability to become temporarily invulnerable by phasing out of reality.

魔

Kirisame Marisa

霧雨魔理沙

Species Human (self-taught magician)

Abilities Magic via Mini-Hakkero · High-output laser spells

Residence Forest of Magic

First Appearance Story of Eastern Wonderland (TH02, 1997)

Win Rate vs. Reimu ~40%, a remarkable achievement against a naturally gifted shrine maiden

Biography

Reimu's frequent partner and friendly rival. Where Reimu's power is innate, Marisa's derives entirely from relentless effort; she is Gensokyo's foremost example of a self-made magician. She lives alone in a cluttered house deep in the Forest of Magic, dedicating herself to magical research and "borrowing" (a euphemism she insists upon, despite the more accurate term being theft) books, spell components, and techniques from other practitioners.

Personality & Philosophy

Marisa embodies the tomboy archetype: direct, occasionally rude, aggressively straightforward. She maintains a carefree attitude while possessing an honest work ethic that contrasts sharply with Reimu's constitutional laziness. Her "borrowing" reflects both a collector's obsessive mentality and a pragmatic approach to acquiring knowledge by any means available. Despite selfish tendencies, she consistently appears on the front lines when Gensokyo faces genuine threats.

Magical Style & Mini-Hakkero

Marisa specializes in high-destruction magic: massive laser beams and dense star-shaped projectiles. Her signature technique, Master Spark, was originally Yuuka Kazami's attack before Marisa adapted it. Her Nondirectional Laser derives from Patchouli Knowledge's elemental repertoire. This habit of incorporating others' techniques reflects her "borrowing" nature and pragmatic philosophy: the best magic is the magic that already works. Her Mini-HakkeroA miniature octagonal furnace that serves as Marisa's magical focus. "Hakkero" (八卦炉) refers to the eight trigrams of the I Ching. It amplifies her magical output into high-destructive laser attacks., a miniature octagonal furnace, serving as her magical focus and amplifier.

Honorable Mentions

Characters who function as de facto protagonists in key entries, despite not holding the title across the full series.

咲

Sakuya Izayoi

十六夜咲夜

Species Human

Abilities Time stop · Time dilation · Knife projection

Residence Scarlet Devil Mansion

Protagonist In EoSD (route C) · PCB (route C) · IN (team with Remilia)

Why She Qualifies

Sakuya Izayoi is the only human in Remilia Scarlet's employ and the only non-shrine-maiden to consistently serve as a selectable protagonist across multiple mainline entries. Her time-manipulation ability makes her uniquely formidable: she stops the world around her while continuing to act, projecting thrown knives that materialize mid-freeze across impossible geometries.

The Mystery Beneath the Silver

ZUN has deliberately left Sakuya's origin a blank. She appeared at the Scarlet Devil Mansion as an adult, fully trained, with no documented past. Her time-manipulation power is unusual for a human; some fans theorize lunar or supernatural origin, though nothing has been confirmed. Her absolute loyalty to Remilia is genuine rather than compelled, which makes it, if anything, more interesting. She serves because she chooses to.

早

Kochiya Sanae

東風谷早苗

Species Human (Living God)

Abilities Miracles · Divine wind · Faith channeling

Residence Moriya Shrine, Youkai Mountain

Protagonist In UFO (TH12) · TD (TH13) · DDC (TH14) · LoLK (TH15) · HSiFS (TH16)

Why She Qualifies

Sanae is the closest Touhou has to a third main protagonist in the Windows era, appearing as a playable lead in five consecutive mainline entries. She is also one of the few characters to show genuine development across games, entering Gensokyo wide-eyed and naive, gradually becoming acclimated to its violence and strangeness, and eventually functioning as a peer to Reimu rather than a newcomer.

The Outside World Transplant

Sanae is a "living god," a human whose divine lineage (she is a distant descendant of Suwako Moriya) grants her the ability to perform genuine miracles. She arrived in Gensokyo from contemporary Japan with the Moriya Shrine and has adapted to Gensokyo's lethal aesthetic with remarkable speed. Notably, she is far more enthusiastic about youkai extermination than Reimu, approaching incidents with an almost tourist-like excitement that Reimu finds vaguely irritating.

Volume III

The PC-98 Era

The "Black History," 1997–1998

The first five Touhou games, developed for the NEC PC-9800 computer series, are colloquially called the "Black History" (Kuro Rekishi). ZUN later rebooted the continuity with the Windows games, rendering many PC-98 details non-canonical or revised. The setting, some character backstories, and the visual style were substantially overhauled. However, several characters (Marisa, Reimu, Alice, Yuuka, and Mima) remain influential even if their canonical status is complicated. ZUN has expressed mixed feelings about the era, though he acknowledges its foundational role.

TH01

PC-98 · 1997

Highly Responsive to Prayers

東方靈異伝〜 Highly Responsive to Prayers

A "barrage block-breaker" rather than a danmaku shooter; players control Reimu breaking blocks on a panel, deflecting a yin-yang orb while avoiding enemies. Two routes: Makai (demon world) and Jigoku (Hell). The game diverges significantly from all later entries in both mechanics and tone.

Character	Species / Role	Notes
SinGyoku	Gatekeeper	Can transform between yin-yang orb, priestess, or priest forms
YuugenMagan	Evil Eye Entity	A hovering cluster of evil eyes connected by electrical discharges
Elis	Devil	"The Innocent Devil," residing in the Ruins of Vina on the Makai route
Sariel	Angel of Death	Final boss of the Makai route; an angelic figure of death
Mima	Vengeful Spirit	Haunts Hakurei Shrine; becomes more prominent in later PC-98 entries
Kikuri	Disk Deity	Boss of the Jigoku route
Konngara	Astral Knight	True final boss of the Jigoku route

Mima (魅魔): The most significant character introduced here, Mima is a vengeful spirit with black magic abilities who haunts Hakurei Shrine. She claims during Story of Eastern Wonderland to seek revenge against humanity, though her exact motivations remain deliberately obscured. In Phantasmagoria of Dim. Dream, she insists she is not dead but merely "a soul," leaving her true nature ambiguous. Her notable absence from all Windows-era games has made her one of the franchise's most beloved missing characters: a persistent subject of fan speculation and wishful thinking.

PC-98 · 1997

Story of Eastern Wonderland

東方封魔録〜 the Story of Eastern Wonderland

The first true danmaku"Bullet curtain" (弾幕): dense, patterned projectile formations. The defining mechanic of the Touhou series: bosses fire elaborate patterns that players must weave through. shooter in the series, establishing the bullet hell mechanics that would define all future Touhou games. Reimu rides her giant turtle Genjii into aerial combat to subdue a rampaging youkai that has transformed her shrine into a hotspot for supernatural activity. Marisa appears as a full boss for the first time.

Character	Species	Notes
Genjii	Giant Turtle	Reimu's aerial mount; provides flight and commentary
Rika	Human Engineer	Operates mechanized weaponry including the "Flower Tank" and "Evil Eye Sigma"
Meira	Human Samurai	A warrior seeking the Hakurei Shrine's power; serves as the final boss

TH03

PC-98 · 1997

Phantasmagoria of Dim. Dream

東方夢時空〜 Phantasmagoria of Dim.Dream

A competitive versus shooting game where multiple characters battle to determine the strongest in Gensokyo after mysterious rumbling sounds from underground. Notably introduces characters from the Outside World attempting to prove magic scientifically, a theme revisited later with the Moriya Shrine's technological ambitions.

Character	Species	Notes
Ellen	Magician	Ages backward; first appeared in ZUN's pre-Touhou works
Kotohime	Princess	A princess obsessed with circles and geometric patterns
Kana Anaberal	Poltergeist	A spirit born from a discarded, forgotten magazine
Rikako Asakura	Human Scientist	A scientific rationalist who denies magic's existence, and loses to it anyway
Chiyuri Kitashirakawa	Human	Assistant to Dr. Yumemi; also appears in Shuusou Gyoku
Yumemi Okazaki	Scientist (Outside World)	Attempts to prove magic scientifically; represents external curiosity about Gensokyo

TH04

PC-98 · 1998

Lotus Land Story

東方幻想郷〜 Lotus Land Story

A standard danmaku shooter where Reimu and Marisa investigate a mysterious mansion on a lake where supernatural power concentrates. Introduces Yuuka Kazami, one of Gensokyo's most powerful and dangerous youkai, who would return in the Windows era.

Character	Species	Notes
Orange	Youkai	Gatekeeper of the mansion; defeated easily
Kurumi	Vampire	A vampire guarding deeper levels; precursor to Windows-era vampires
Elly	Gatekeeper	Sword-wielding gatekeeper of the final areas
Mugetsu / Gengetsu	Unknown	Twin final bosses; Gengetsu is the more aggressive of the pair
Yuuka Kazami	Youkai	First appearance of a recurring Windows-era character; associated with sunflowers and seasons

Yuuka Kazami (風見幽香): A powerful youkai associated with sunflowers and the four seasons. Known for her love of flowers and her immense, barely-restrained power; she is described as one of the oldest and most dangerous beings in Gensokyo. Her Master Spark technique was later "borrowed" by Marisa Kirisame. She returned as a playable character in Phantasmagoria of Flower View.

TH05

PC-98 · 1998

Mystic Square

東方怪綺談〜 Mystic Square

The final PC-98 game, set in Makai, the demon realm. Reimu and Marisa investigate why Makai's demons are invading Gensokyo. Introduces both Alice Margatroid (in her original, substantially different backstory) and Shinki, the goddess who created Makai and all its inhabitants.

Character	Species	Notes
Sara	Makai Guard	Guardian of Makai's entrance
Louise	Demon	An early demon encountered in Makai
Alice Margatroid	Magician (Human)	In PC-98 canon: a human who became a magician; moves to Gensokyo after the incident. Substantially revised in Windows era.
Yuki / Mai	Demons	The "Blazing Demons": fire and ice magic respectively
Yumeko	Maid	Shinki's devoted maid; fights with knives, a clear precursor to Sakuya Izayoi
Shinki	Goddess	Creator of Makai and all its inhabitants; the final boss

Shinki (神綺): The goddess who created Makai and every being within it. She bears no personal malice toward Gensokyo; the invasion was caused by her creations acting independently. She has not appeared in Windows-era canon, leaving her fate deliberately unaddressed.

Volume IV

The Windows Era

The Windows-era games, beginning with Embodiment of Scarlet Devil in 2002, represent the definitive Touhou canon. ZUN rebooted the setting, retaining only select characters and concepts from the PC-98 era while establishing the rules, locations, and cast that define modern Touhou. The Windows era maintains consistent internal continuity across all mainline and most spin-off entries.

TH06

Windows Era · 2002

Embodiment of Scarlet Devil

東方紅魔郷〜 the Embodiment of Scarlet Devil

Incident The Scarlet Mist Incident: an unnatural crimson fog blankets Gensokyo, blocking sunlight. Perpetrator: Remilia Scarlet. Motive: to allow a vampire to walk in daylight.

The reboot that defined modern Touhou. An unnatural red fog covers all of Gensokyo, blocking the sun. Reimu Hakurei investigates, eventually tracing the source to a Western-style mansion beside Misty Lake: the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Marisa Kirisame independently follows the same trail.

Character	Species	Ability	Role
Rumia	Youkai	Manipulating darkness	Stage 1 Boss
Cirno	Ice Fairy	Manipulating cold	Stage 2 Boss
Hong Meiling	Youkai	Manipulating chi	Stage 3 Boss, Mansion Gatekeeper
Patchouli Knowledge	Magician	All five elements	Stage 4 Boss, Library Scholar
Sakuya Izayoi	Human	Manipulating time	Stage 5 Boss, Head Maid
Remilia Scarlet	Vampire	Manipulating fate	Stage 6 Final Boss, Mistress
Flandre Scarlet	Vampire	Destruction of anything	Extra Stage Boss, Confined Sister

Cirno

チルノ

Ice Fairy Manipulate Cold

An ice fairy residing near Misty Lake who considers herself the strongest, a claim refuted by virtually every encounter. Her cheerful self-confidence in the face of constant defeat became the basis for the "⑨" (baka) internet meme. Later given her own spin-off game, Fairy Wars.

Patchouli Knowledge

パチュリー・ノーレッジ

Magician Five Elements

A sickly magician confined to the Scarlet Devil Mansion's vast library due to chronic asthma. Possesses complete mastery of all five classical elements: fire, water, wood, metal, and earth. She serves as Remilia's close friend and advisor. Her "Nondirectional Laser" was later adapted (without permission) by Marisa.

Sakuya Izayoi

十六夜咲夜

Human Time Manipulation

The head maid of Scarlet Devil Mansion and the only human in its permanent staff. Can stop, slow, or accelerate time at will, an ability that makes her among the most tactically dangerous beings in Gensokyo despite being human. Her origin is deliberately left mysterious by ZUN. She displays absolute loyalty to Remilia.

Remilia Scarlet

レミリア・スカーレット

Vampire · 500+ yrs Fate Manipulation

The mistress of Scarlet Devil Mansion. Despite her childlike appearance, she is over 500 years old and immensely powerful. Her ability to manipulate fate remains somewhat vague in its scope. The Scarlet Mist Incident was motivated by a simple desire: to walk in daylight without burning. Her capricious aristocratic personality can flip from gracious to lethal without warning.

Flandre Scarlet

フランドール・スカーレット

Vampire Absolute Destruction

Remilia's younger sister, confined to the mansion's basement for 495 years due to her power: the ability to destroy absolutely anything by compressing and detonating the "eye" at an object's core. She possesses childlike innocence combined with dangerous instability; she is not malicious, but incapable of restraint. She appears in the Extra Stage seeking entertainment through play.

Hong Meiling

紅美鈴

Youkai Chi Manipulation

The gatekeeper of Scarlet Devil Mansion, a skilled martial artist who excels in chi-based combat. Despite her formidable technique, she is notorious for falling asleep on duty and being easily slipped past by intruders. She maintains warm relationships with the mansion's staff, suggesting she is more cherished than her perpetual dereliction of duty would imply.

TH07

Windows Era · 2003

Perfect Cherry Blossom

東方妖々夢〜 Perfect Cherry Blossom

Incident The Spring Snow Incident: Gensokyo trapped in endless winter, spring refusing to arrive. Perpetrator: Saigyouji Yuyuko, at Yukari Yakumo's indirect request. Motive: to resurrect the dead poet-princess beneath the Saigyou Ayakashi.

Gensokyo remains locked in perpetual winter; spring energy has been stolen and directed toward the Netherworld. Reimu, Marisa, and Sakuya investigate, eventually ascending to Hakugyokurou, the ghost-princess Yuyuko's cherry-blossomed afterlife domain. Introduces Yukari Yakumo and reveals the Netherworld's relationship with Gensokyo.

Character	Species	Ability	Role
Letty Whiterock	Youkai	Manipulating cold	Stage 1 Boss
Chen	NekomataA two-tailed cat youkai (猫又), a bakeneko that has aged long enough to split its tail. Nekomata are associated with death and can reanimate corpses; Chen, being a relatively young nekomata, has not yet developed these darker abilities.	Scratching, possessing	Stage 2 Boss, Ran's shikigami
Alice Margatroid	Youkai Magician	Manipulating dolls	Stage 3 Boss
Lunasa / Merlin / Lyrica Prismriver	Poltergeists	Musical manipulation	Stage 4 Boss (trio)
Youmu Konpaku	Half-human Half-phantom	Swordsmanship	Stage 5 Boss, Yuyuko's gardener
Saigyouji Yuyuko	Ghost Princess	Manipulating death	Stage 6 Final Boss
Yakumo Ran	Kyuubi no KitsuneA nine-tailed fox (九尾の狐): a kitsune of immense age and accumulated power. In Japanese folklore, a fox grows a new tail for every century of life and gains new abilities with each. Nine tails represents the pinnacle of kitsune power.	All magic (shikigami)	Extra Stage Boss
Yakumo Yukari	Youkai Sage	Manipulating boundaries	Phantasm Stage Boss

Youmu Konpaku

魂魄妖夢

Half-human / Half-phantom Dual Swordsmanship

Half-human, half-phantom gardener and swordsman serving Saigyouji Yuyuko. Wields two swords: the long Roukanken (capable of cutting through confusion) and the short Hakurouken (capable of cutting uncertainty). Her spectral phantom half floats perpetually beside her. She feels tremendous guilt for failing to prevent Yuyuko's actions during the incident.

Saigyouji Yuyuko

西行寺幽幽子

Ghost Princess Manipulate Death

The princess of Hakugyokurou: a ghost who cannot die because she is already dead. She can manipulate death itself: inviting or denying it in others. Her gentle, carefree demeanor (she often speaks of food and flowers) masks tremendous power. She collected spring energy to bloom the Saigyou Ayakashi, beneath which her human self, the poet Saigyō, lies sealed. She remembers nothing of her mortal life.

Yakumo Yukari

八雲紫

Youkai Sage Boundary Manipulation

One of Gensokyo's most powerful and mysterious beings. A youkai sage who manipulates boundaries: literally any boundary: physical, conceptual, metaphysical, or even the boundary between life and death. She orchestrated the creation of the Hakurei Barrier that sealed Gensokyo. Her motivations remain perpetually opaque. She sleeps much of the year, leaving affairs to Ran, which raises the question of whether her indolence is genuine or strategic.

Prismriver Sisters

プリズムリバー三姉妹

Poltergeists Musical Manipulation

Lunasa (sorrowful violin), Merlin (lively trumpet), and Lyrica (energetic keyboard) are three poltergeists born from the grief of Layla Prismriver, who created them to memorialize her deceased siblings before her own death. They perform as a ghostly ensemble. Each embodies a distinct emotional quality through her instrument.

TH08

Windows Era · 2004

Imperishable Night

東方永夜抄〜 Imperishable Night

Incident The Eternal Night Incident: the moon remains full, night continues endlessly. True antagonist: Kaguya Houraisan. The surface incident conceals a deeper conflict between Gensokyo and the Lunar Capital.

The moon refuses to move; night persists indefinitely. Multiple protagonist teams investigate, eventually tracing the phenomenon to Eientei in the Bamboo Forest of the Lost. The apparent incident masks a larger conflict: lunar exiles hiding from the Moon's celestial enforcers. Introduces the Hourai Elixir, the forbidden immortality potion at the heart of centuries of conflict.

Character	Species	Ability	Role
Wriggle Nightbug	Youkai (Insect)	Manipulating insects	Stage 1 Boss
Mystia Lorelei	Night Sparrow Youkai	Night-blindness inducing song	Stage 2 Boss
Keine Kamishirasawa	Half-beast (Hakutaku)	Consuming/creating history	Stage 3 Boss, Village Protector
Tewi Inaba	Rabbit Youkai	Bestowing luck	Stage 4 Midboss, Earth Rabbit Leader
Reisen Udongein Inaba	Moon Rabbit	Wavelength/madness manipulation	Stage 5 Boss
Eirin Yagokoro	Lunarian Sage	Knowledge/wisdom manipulation	Stage 6 Boss (Route A)
Kaguya Houraisan	Lunarian Princess	Eternity and impossibility	Stage 6 Boss (Route B)
Fujiwara no Mokou	Human Immortal	Immortality (Hourai)	Extra Stage Boss

Keine Kamishirasawa

上白沢慧音

Half-beast · HakutakuA legendary Chinese beast (白沢) said to appear before wise and virtuous rulers, offering knowledge of all supernatural beings. Keine's hakutaku half activates under the full moon, changing her ability from "eat history" to "create history." History Manipulation

Teacher and protector of the Human Village. Possesses two distinct abilities: at night, she can "eat" history, causing events to vanish from all records as though they never occurred; by day she can "create" history, weaving new pasts. She used this power to hide the Human Village from attackers during the Eternal Night Incident, fiercely protecting her charges.

Reisen Udongein Inaba

鈴仙・優曇華院・イナバ

Moon Rabbit (defector) Wavelength / Madness

A moon rabbit who fled the Lunar Capital alongside Eirin and Kaguya during the Moon War. Manipulates wavelengths, inducing madness, confusion, or hallucinations through her red eyes. "Udongein" is a nickname given by Eirin, referring to a phantom flower that blooms only once every three thousand years. Her red eyes serve as a visual marker of lunar origin.

Kaguya Houraisan

蓬莱山輝夜

Lunarian Princess Eternity · Impossibility

The protagonist of The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, Japan's oldest surviving narrative. A lunarian princess who consumed the forbidden Hourai ElixirA forbidden immortality potion (蓬莱の薬) that grants true, irreversible immortality. Those who drink it cannot die under any circumstances, not by violence nor age. The Moon considers its consumption an unforgivable crime., granting immortality but exiling her permanently from the Moon. She lives in Eientei, occasionally issuing impossible challenges to suitors, echoing the five impossible tasks from the original tale. Her ability to manipulate "eternity and impossibility" reflects her fundamental detachment from mortal constraints.

Fujiwara no Mokou

藤原妹紅

Human Immortal (Hourai) Immortality · Fire

A human immortal who obtained the Hourai ElixirThe forbidden immortality potion (蓬莱の薬). Mokou stole it from the imperial court centuries after Kaguya's exile, motivated by revenge against Kaguya's father, who publicly humiliated Mokou's own father. after stealing it from the imperial court, driven by revenge against Kaguya's father. She despises Kaguya with the depth that only centuries of shared immortality and endless combat can produce. Unlike Kaguya's lunar refinement, Mokou has become rough and isolated over the centuries, living alone in the bamboo forest. Their immortality means conflict never ends; they kill each other endlessly, meaninglessly.

Eirin Yagokoro

八意永琳

Lunarian Sage Knowledge · Pharmacology

A lunarian sage of immense age who claims to have created the Hourai Elixir itself. She served as the Moon's greatest physician before choosing to flee alongside Kaguya rather than escort her back for punishment. Her tactical brilliance is clear: she orchestrated the entire Eternal Night Incident as cover to conceal Kaguya from lunar pursuers, making her arguably the most strategically dangerous character in the series.

TH09

Windows Era · 2005

Phantasmagoria of Flower View

東方花映塚〜 Phantasmagoria of Flower View

Incident Flowers of all seasons bloom simultaneously across Gensokyo in a natural 60-year cycle, complicated by Eiki and Komachi's negligence in managing the flow of souls.

A competitive versus danmaku game where Gensokyo's residents investigate the simultaneous blooming of all seasonal flowers. Unlike most incidents, there is no single malicious perpetrator; the phenomenon is natural. However, the shinigamiA death god (死神) responsible for guiding souls to the afterlife. Komachi specifically ferries souls across the Sanzu River, the boundary between the living world and the realm of the dead. Komachi's laziness in ferrying souls has allowed the dead to linger, contributing to the supernatural excess of energy. Final boss Eiki Shiki delivers moral lectures to every character.

Aya Shameimaru

射命丸文

Crow Tengu Wind · Speed

A crow tengu journalist for the Bunbunmaru Newspaper. Possesses extraordinary speed (among the fastest beings in Gensokyo) and the ability to manipulate wind. Her passion for news sometimes overrides accuracy; she photographs incidents rather than simply reporting them, often becoming part of the story herself. She received her own photography spin-off in Shoot the Bullet.

Komachi Onozuka

小野塚小町

Shinigami Distance Manipulation

A shinigamiDeath god. Komachi's role is specifically psychopomp: ferrying souls across the Sanzu River to the afterlife. The length of the crossing she allows depends on the soul's deeds in life. who ferries souls across the Sanzu River to the afterlife. She can manipulate distance, shortening or lengthening journeys as she pleases. Her constitutional laziness leads her to frequently neglect her duties, allowing souls to pile up on the riverbank. This dereliction contributed to the flower incident's severity, earning her a particularly stern lecture from Eiki.

Eiki Shiki Yamaxanadu

四季映姫・ヤマザナドゥ

Yama (Judge of the Dead) Judging Character

The judge of the dead for Gensokyo, responsible for determining souls' final fates based on their accumulated deeds. She lectures anyone in earshot about morality with relentless, unwanted thoroughness. Despite her stern demeanor and tendency to reduce every character to tears, she genuinely wishes for souls to improve themselves. Her authority as a yama places her among Gensokyo's highest-ranking figures.

Medicine Melancholy

メディスン・メランコリー

Tsukumogami (Doll) Poison Manipulation

A tsukumogamiAn object that gained consciousness after 100 years of existence (付喪神). Often born from abandonment or neglect. Medicine's resentment at being discarded is typical of tsukumogami origin stories., a doll abandoned by its owner that gained sentience through accumulated resentment. She manipulates poison and views humans with deep suspicion, particularly because she was discarded. She seeks a world where dolls can live freely, though her chosen methods (releasing poisons) create obvious complications with her goal of peaceful coexistence.

TH10

Windows Era · 2007

Mountain of Faith

東方風神録〜 Mountain of Faith

Incident The Moriya Shrine descends from the Outside World and claims Youkai Mountain, displacing native tenguBird-like mountain spirits (天狗) organized in strict hierarchy on Youkai Mountain. Crow tengu control information; white wolf tengu patrol borders. Politically powerful and surveillance-obsessed. and kappaWater-dwelling engineers (河童) who inhabit Youkai Mountain's rivers. Gensokyo's kappa collect Outside World technology and adapt it locally. Shy but friendly; excellent inventors.. Perpetrators: Yasaka Kanako and Moriya Suwako. Motive: escaping declining faith by harvesting Gensokyo's belief.

A wind god's shrine arrives uninvited on Youkai Mountain, threatening the established power balance. Reimu investigates what she perceives as an attack on the Hakurei Shrine's monopoly on faith. The Moriya gods claim progressive intent: they want to industrialize Gensokyo's power generation, but their methods involve displacing whatever stands in their way.

Character	Species	Role
Hina Kagiyama	God of Misfortune	Collects misfortune from humans to protect them; wanders alone as proximity causes bad luck
Nitori Kawashiro	Kappa Engineer	Water manipulation; shy technological inventor on Youkai Mountain
Momiji Inubashiri	White Wolf Tengu	Mountain guard; keen senses, warns before escalating to combat
Kochiya Sanae	Human Living God	Moriya Shrine maiden; naive but sincere; can perform miracles
Yasaka Kanako	Mountain God	Final Boss, progressive deity who left the Outside World for Gensokyo's faith
Moriya Suwako	Ancient God of Suwa	Extra Boss, predating Kanako; a childlike figure of immense age and power

TH11

Windows Era · 2008

Subterranean Animism

東方地霊殿〜 Subterranean Animism

Incident Geysers erupt across Gensokyo, releasing massive supernatural energy. Perpetrator: Utsuho Reiuji. Cause: uncontrolled nuclear fusion after absorbing the sun deity Yatagarasu.

Geysers erupt throughout Gensokyo, releasing waves of supernatural energy. The source lies in Former Hell, an abandoned subterranean realm now inhabited by beings who fled when Hell was formally relocated. Reimu and Marisa descend underground alone, communicating with surface allies through shikigamiA familiar bound through onmyōdō ritual magic (式神): a spirit or being compelled to serve a master. Reimu and Marisa each borrow a shikigami partner from Yukari or Satori for cooperative play in this game's unique mechanic.. The central tragedy: a simple-minded hell raven given godlike power she cannot understand.

Komeiji Satori

古明地さとり

Satori Youkai Mind Reading

A satori, a youkai whose open third eye reads the minds of all nearby beings involuntarily. She resides in the Former Hell palace with her sister and various pets. Her ability makes genuine relationships nearly impossible, as others cannot bear having their thoughts exposed. Despite this isolation, she deeply cares for her charges, though she struggles to control Utsuho's newly acquired power.

Reiuji Utsuho (Okuu)

霊烏路空

Hell Raven Nuclear Fusion

A hell raven who absorbed the sun deity Yatagarasu after it descended to Former Hell, granting her the power of nuclear fusion. She cannot fully control this godlike ability. Simple-minded and easily manipulated, she genuinely believes she is helping Gensokyo by developing "nuclear energy." Her fusion experiments caused the geyser eruptions, making her simultaneously the incident's perpetrator and its most sympathetic victim.

Komeiji Koishi

古明地こいし

Satori (Closed Eye) Subconscious Manipulation

Satori's younger sister, who voluntarily closed her third eye (the source of satori power) to escape the pain of reading minds. This act rendered her unable to read minds but also erased her own subconscious presence. She has no fixed existence in others' perception; she cannot be noticed or remembered unless she chooses to be seen. She wanders Gensokyo seeking entertainment and emotional connection she is structurally unable to achieve.

Kaenbyou Rin (Orin)

火焰猫燐

Kasha (Cat Youkai) Corpse Transportation

A kashaA cat youkai (火車) that steals and transports the corpses of sinners. In folklore, kasha descend during funerals to drag away unworthy souls. Orin's practical role: hauling bodies to Former Hell to fuel Utsuho's nuclear furnace., a cat youkai whose function is transporting corpses from the surface to Former Hell to fuel Utsuho's furnace. She serves Satori loyally and maintains the palace with cheerful efficiency. Her cheerful demeanor contrasts markedly with her macabre duties. She alerted the surface world to Utsuho's rampage, indirectly triggering the incident's investigation.

TH12

Windows Era · 2009

Undefined Fantastic Object

東方星蓮船〜 Undefined Fantastic Object

Incident A massive treasure ship appears over Gensokyo accompanied by UFOs. Byakuren Hijiri's devoted followers seek to resurrect the sealed magician-monk from beneath Myouren Temple.

A vast flying ship materializes over Gensokyo. Its crew is assembling fragments of a sacred spear to resurrect their leader: Byakuren Hijiri, a Buddhist magician sealed for centuries as punishment for protecting youkai. Multiple factions converge. The nue Nue Houjuu manipulates events from the shadows, obscuring her role while advancing her own agenda.

Byakuren Hijiri

聖白蓮

Magician · Former Human Buddhist Magic

A human magician who devoted herself to Buddhism and sought to save youkai from persecution. Her "sin" was using magic to shield youkai, an act that led to her sealing beneath Myouren Temple for centuries. Her followers move heaven and earth to resurrect her. She genuinely wishes to protect youkai, though her methods occasionally conflict with Gensokyo's established equilibrium.

Nue Houjuu

封獣ぬえ

Nue (Chimera Youkai) Identity Manipulation

A nueA legendary chimera youkai (鵺): monkey head, tanuki body, tiger paws, snake tail. Historically, its cry at night was said to bring illness and disaster to the aristocracy. The nue's defining trait is that no one can identify what it truly is.. Nue Houjuu is a chimera youkai combining monkey, tanuki, tiger, and snake elements, and she manipulates identity, appearing as something entirely different from what she truly is. She engineered the UFO incident from behind the scenes, hoping to resurrect Byakuren while remaining hidden. She genuinely cares for Byakuren but fears rejection if her true nature is revealed.

Minamitsu Murasa

村紗水蜜

FunayureiThe ghost of a person who drowned at sea (船幽霊). Said to approach ships at night demanding a ladle, then use it to bail water INTO the vessel, sinking it. Murasa's anchor ability is a direct manifestation of this folklore. (Sea Ghost) Drowning · Anchors

The ghost of someone who drowned at sea, possibly a pirate captain. She can manipulate drowning and anchors, pulling ships and swimmers into the deep. She serves as one of Byakuren's most devoted followers, grateful for the magician's acceptance of her ghostly and dangerous nature. The flying treasure ship is largely under her command.

Kogasa Tatara

多々良小傘

Karakasa (Umbrella Tsukumogami) Surprise

A karakasa, a sentient umbrella that gained life after being discarded. Her entire purpose is to surprise people, but her attempts almost universally fail: she announces herself, appears comically rather than frighteningly, or is simply too earnest to be scary. She joined the UFO search without understanding its implications, drawn to the spectacle rather than the cause.

TH13

Windows Era · 2011

Ten Desires

東方神霊廟〜 Ten Desires

Incident Divine spirits (manifestations of human desires) materialize throughout Gensokyo. Source: the resurrection of Toyosatomimi no Miko, an ancient Taoist sage, from her underground tomb.

Gensokyo fills with divine spirits, ghostly embodiments of human desires. The source is an ancient tomb where a Taoist prince-sage is in the process of resurrectring after centuries of preparation. The incident pits Taoist and Buddhist factions against each other, with Myouren Temple viewing the Taoists as ideological rivals.

Toyosatomimi no Miko

豊聡耳神子

Taoist Saint Hear Ten Desires Simultaneously

A Taoist saint and ancient Japanese prince (based on Prince Shōtoku) who could listen to the simultaneous desires of ten people at once. She sought immortality through Taoism and now resurgets to guide and govern Gensokyo. Her resurrection inadvertently caused the spirit swarm. She genuinely wishes to help others achieve enlightenment, but her Taoist methods bring her into direct ideological conflict with Byakuren's Buddhism.

Kaku Seiga

霍青娥

Taoist Hermit Evil Manipulation · Phase Through Walls

A Taoist hermit who achieved immortality through forbidden arts. She can manipulate evil and pass through any wall. Morally flexible to a degree that makes her dangerous; she views others primarily as tools for her own amusement. She created Yoshika as a disposable servant and aided Miko's resurrection for reasons that serve Seiga alone.

Futatsuiwa Mamizou

二ッ岩マミゾウ

Bake-danukiA shape-shifting raccoon dog (化け狸) with supernatural powers of transformation and illusion. In Japanese folklore, tanuki are masters of disguise and known for their mischievous personalities, but unlike kitsune, they're considered warm-hearted tricksters rather than malicious ones. Disguise Self and Others

A shape-shifting tanuki who recently arrived from the Outside World at Nue's invitation. She seeks to establish a tanuki community in Gensokyo and views this incident as an opportunity to demonstrate tanuki capabilities to the local power structure. She is one of the few characters to have knowingly crossed from the modern world into Gensokyo of her own volition.

TH14

Windows Era · 2013

Double Dealing Character

東方輝針城〜 Double Dealing Character

Incident The Reverse Incident: tools gain sentience and peaceful youkai turn violent. Perpetrator: Seija Kijin. Motive: overturning Gensokyo's entire established power structure.

Tools across Gensokyo develop hostile minds; placid youkai become aggressive. An amanojaku, a youkai of pure contradiction, has used the Miracle Mallet to empower the weak at the expense of the strong. The incident is philosophically interesting: Seija's goal is fundamentally to destroy hierarchy, making the protagonists defenders of the existing order.

Seija Kijin

鬼人正邪

Amanojaku Reverse Anything

An amanojakuA youkai (天邪鬼) of pure contrarianism, instinctively opposing all norms, order, and hierarchy. For Seija, this isn't a choice; opposition is her nature. Cooperation is physiologically painful., a youkai of pure contrarianism who instinctively opposes all established order. She can reverse anything: directions, relationships, power hierarchies. She manipulated Shinmyoumaru into leading a rebellion against Gensokyo's powerful using the Miracle Mallet, intending to overturn the entire social structure. She received her own puzzle-game sequel in Impossible Spell Card.

Shinmyoumaru Sukuna

少名針妙丸

Inchling (Kobito) Size Manipulation (Miracle Mallet)

A kobito, a descendant of the dwarf companion from The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter who traveled with Kaguya's suitors. She wields the Miracle Mallet, capable of granting wishes by altering size. Seija manipulated her into using the mallet to empower marginalized beings. Unlike Seija's cynical nihilism, Shinmyoumaru genuinely seeks justice for the weak; she simply chose the wrong partner.

TH15

Windows Era · 2015

Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom

東方紺珠伝〜 Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom

Incident Lunar Invasion: the Moon seeks to "purify" Gensokyo of all impurity. A pure, sterile sphere descends over Gensokyo. Perpetrators: Junko and Hecatia Lapislazuli. True motive: revenge against the Lunar Capital.

Lunarians descend on Gensokyo with claims of purification, but the true agenda is revenge. Junko, a pure spirit who lost her son to the Moon centuries ago, has orchestrated an invasion with godlike allies. Fairies driven mad by lunar purity strike at random. The incident marks Gensokyo's most direct confrontation with the Lunar Capital since Imperishable Night.

Junko

純狐

Pure Spirit (Goddess) Absolute Purity

A pure spirit who became a goddess through an intense, centuries-long process of purification, stripping herself of all impurity until nothing remained but rage and purpose. She seeks revenge against the Lunar Capital for killing her son. Her purity is so absolute that impurity cannot coexist near her. She is among the most powerful antagonists in the series, driven by grief that has calcified into something beyond grief.

Hecatia Lapislazuli

ヘカーティア・ラピスラズリ

Goddess of Hell Hell Manipulation

A goddess from Hell who allied with Junko. She manipulates "pepes," sphere-shaped creatures from Hell, and commands considerable power over the underworld. She supports Junko's revenge not from personal grievance but from genuine friendship. Notably, she is described as so powerful that even the Lunar Capital's forces regard her as a threat.

Doremy Sweet

ドレミー・スイート

Baku (Dream Eater) Dream Manipulation

A bakuA dream-eating creature (獏) from Japanese folklore. Said to devour nightmares and protect sleepers, but also to consume pleasant dreams if summoned recklessly. Doremy governs all of Gensokyo's dream traffic. who oversees all dreams in Gensokyo. She can manipulate dreams and travel between them, maintaining the boundary between the dream and waking worlds. She serves the Lunar Capital in an administrative capacity but acts with more pragmatism than ideology, awakening sleepers or altering their dreams as the situation demands.

TH16

Windows Era · 2017

Hidden Star in Four Seasons

東方天空璋〜 Hidden Star in Four Seasons

Incident Four Seasons Disorder: different seasons appear simultaneously in different regions. Perpetrator: Okina Matara, a sage testing Gensokyo's residents to identify worthy successors.

Different seasons manifest simultaneously across separate regions of Gensokyo. The cause is Okina Matara, a sage equal to Yukari in power, who manufactured the disorder as a talent search. She requires successors capable of inheriting her authority, and believes the only reliable test is crisis.

Okina Matara

摩多羅隠岐奈

Sage (Back Door God) Hidden Entrances · Back Doors

A sage equal in power to Yukari Yakumo, one of the foundational beings sustaining Gensokyo. She manipulates "back doors": hidden connections and entrances invisible to others. She created the seasonal disorder to identify worthy successors for her authority, secretly warning the tengu against dominating humans. Her servants Satono and Mai perform ceremonial dances to channel her power.

TH17

Windows Era · 2019

Wily Beast and Weakest Creature

東方鬼形獣〜 Wily Beast and Weakest Creature

Incident Animal Spirit Invasion: beast spirits from Hell invade Gensokyo. Perpetrator: Keiki Haniyasushin, a god of haniwa, seeking human defenders against threats in Hell's underworld.

Animal spirits surge into Gensokyo from Hell, causing widespread chaos. The true cause is Keiki Haniyasushin, a god of clay haniwa figures, who sought human allies against existential threats in Hell's animal realm. Her methods involved creating an emergency she hoped would draw capable fighters into the underworld.

TH18

Windows Era · 2021

Unfinished Dream of All Living Ghost

東方虹龍洞〜 Unfinished Dream of All Living Ghost

Incident Card Distribution Anomaly: mysterious cards granting powers circulate through Gensokyo. Perpetrators: Zanmu Nippaku and Son Biten. Motive: establishing economic and social influence through a new card-based power system.

Mysterious cards circulate through Gensokyo, granting various powers to their holders. The cards represent a new economic system introduced by Zanmu (an oni of the second generation, born from human-youkai union) and Son Biten (a monkey spirit with Sun Wukong's abilities). They seek to reshape Gensokyo's power dynamics through controlled distribution of supernatural capability.

Volume V

Spin-offs & Fighting Games

The fighting games developed in collaboration with Twilight Frontier occupy a complex canonical position. While supervised by ZUN and generally considered official, they sometimes present events from specific character perspectives or explore scenarios tangential to the main incident structure. All are developed by Twilight Frontier using ZUN's characters and lore.

Title	Code	Year	Type	Incident / Focus
Immaterial and Missing Power	TH07.5	2004	Fighting	Endless Banquet: Suika Ibuki hosts an eternal party out of boredom
Shoot the Bullet	TH09.5	2005	Photography	Aya Shameimaru photographs youkai for the Bunbunmaru Newspaper
Scarlet Weather Rhapsody	TH10.5	2008	Fighting	Scarlet Weather: Tenshi Hinanawi causes earthquakes for entertainment
Touhou Hisoutensoku	TH12.3	2009	Fighting (expansion)	Each character hunts a giant kappa shadow for different reasons
Double Spoiler	TH12.5	2010	Photography	Aya and Hatate Himekaidou compete in rival photojournalism
Fairy Wars	TH12.8	2010	Spin-off shooter	Cirno retaliates against the Three Fairies for destroying her ice house
Hopeless Masquerade	TH13.5	2012	Fighting	Hata no Kokoro destabilizes Gensokyo's emotions after losing her hope mask
Impossible Spell Card	TH14.3	2014	Puzzle	Seija Kijin evades punishment using impossible-to-dodge attacks
Urban Legend in Limbo	TH14.5	2015	Fighting	Sumireko Usami manifests Outside World urban legends into Gensokyo
Antinomy of Common Flowers	TH15.5	2017	Fighting	Yorigami sisters extort Gensokyo through complete possession
Violet Detector	TH16.5	2018	Photography	Sumireko documents her nightmares, encounters with Gensokyo residents
Touhou Gouyoku Ibun	TH17.5	2021	Fighting	Animal realm factions dispute territorial boundaries
Touhou Juuouen	TH19	2023	Competitive shooter	Continued animal spirit land disputes following card system disruption

Suika Ibuki

伊吹萃香

Oni Density Manipulation

An oniDemon-like beings (鬼) of enormous physical strength and pride. Traditionally honest, they consider deception beneath their dignity. Most oni left Gensokyo when the Spell Card Rules were established, viewing formalized, non-lethal combat as dishonorable. of great power who can manipulate density, gathering dispersed matter into concentrated forms, splitting into smaller versions of herself, or becoming intangible. She grew bored with Gensokyo's peace and created the Endless Banquet to manufacture the companionship oni traditionally valued. Despite causing the incident, she is entirely sincere about wanting a good party.

Tenshi Hinanawi

比那名居天子

Celestial Earth · Keystones

A celestial born into heaven through inherited status rather than earned virtue. She wields the keystone, a celestial artifact that stabilizes the earth, to create earthquakes and manipulate weather purely for entertainment. Spoiled, immature, and genuinely bored with celestial perfection, she views Gensokyo's incidents as a personal amusement park.

Sumireko Usami

宇佐見菫子

Human (Psychic) Telepathy · Telekinesis

A high school student from the Outside World with developing psychic powers. She projects herself into Gensokyo during dreams, initially unaware she is visiting a real location. She manifests Outside World urban legends to draw out Gensokyo's residents, viewing them as "occult beings," the encounter she has always sought. Unlike most antagonists, she bears no malice: only curiosity and a deep desire to be recognized as special.

Volume VI

Print Works & Media

ZUN has supervised numerous print works that expand Touhou lore beyond the games, exploring Gensokyo through different character perspectives, daily life, and long-running narrative arcs. These works are generally considered canonical, though they occasionally contradict game canon in minor details.

Curiosities of Lotus Asia

Manga exploring Gensokyo through Rinnosuke Morichika, the series' only recurring male character and proprietor of Kourindou, a curio shop dealing in Outside World objects. His ability to discern the name and purpose of any object (but not how to use it) makes him a uniquely positioned observer.

Protagonist: Rinnosuke Morichika

Touhou Sangetsusei

Slice-of-life manga following Sunny Milk, Luna Child, and Star Sapphire (the Three Fairies of Light) as they cause cheerful, low-stakes mischief throughout Gensokyo. Provides a ground-level perspective on daily life between incidents.

Three Fairies of Light

Touhou Bougetsushou

Explores the Lunar Capital and its conflicts with Gensokyo. Includes Silent Sinner in Blue (Reimu and Marisa travel to the Moon) and Cage in Lunatic Runagate (Reisen's perspective on her defection and its consequences).

Lunar Cast · Eirin · Kaguya · Reisen

Wild and Horned Hermit

Manga focusing on Ibara Kasen, a hermit who mentors humans while concealing her own nature. Her lost arm, replaced with an oni's arm, hints at a past she refuses to discuss. She may be one of the four great oni sages who once governed the underground.

Ibara Kasen · Reimu (supporting)

Forbidden Scrollery

Manga following Kosuzu Motoori, a human girl who can read any text regardless of language or magical protection, including dangerous youkai grimoires. Her Suzunaan rental bookstore in the Human Village attracts clients whose interest in her collection is not always literary.

Kosuzu Motoori · Reimu · Marisa

Ghostly Field Club (Music CDs)

A series of music albums with accompanying stories following Renko Usami and Maribel Hearn, two university students from the Outside World who investigate the boundaries between reality and Gensokyo. Maribel can sense boundaries intuitively; a popular fan theory (unconfirmed) suggests she eventually becomes Yukari Yakumo.

Renko Usami · Maribel Hearn

Appendix

Reference Materials

Gameplay Glossary

1CC

One Credit Clear: completing a game without continuing. Required for good endings and Extra Stage access.

Danmaku

"Bullet curtain": the dense, patterned bullet formations characteristic of Touhou's bullet hell gameplay.

Spell Card

Named, patterned attacks declared before execution: the basis of Gensokyo's ritualized combat system.

Capture

Surviving a boss's Spell Card without dying, bombing, or allowing the timer to expire.

Bomb

A screen-clearing attack that grants temporary invulnerability. Counted separately from lives.

Deathbomb

Using a bomb within ~0.3 seconds of being hit, canceling the hit and preserving the life.

Graze

Having bullets pass near the hitbox without making contact; awards score bonuses and sometimes other resources.

Hitbox

The character's actual collision area, significantly smaller than the visible sprite, enabling survival in dense patterns.

Focus Mode

Slow movement mode that reveals the hitbox visually. Introduced in Perfect Cherry Blossom.

Extra Stage

Bonus stage unlocked after 1CC, substantially harder than any main-game content, featuring unique bosses.

Incident (Ihen)

Supernatural phenomena requiring resolution: the plot driver for most Touhou games.

Shikigami

A familiar or servant created through onmyoudō magic. Ran serves as Yukari's shikigami; Chen serves as Ran's.

Outside World

The modern world beyond the Hakurei Barrier: contemporary Japan, where forgotten things drift toward Gensokyo.

Youkai

Supernatural beings from Japanese folklore. In Gensokyo, their existence is sustained by human fear and belief.

Incident Timeline

~500 years before EoSD

Great Barrier Creation

Yukari Yakumo seals Gensokyo from the Outside World

~1884–1885 (estimated)

Scarlet Devil Arrival

Remilia Scarlet arrives in Gensokyo

TH06 · 2002

Scarlet Mist Incident

Remilia Scarlet: to walk in daylight

TH07 · 2003

Spring Snow Incident

Saigyouji Yuyuko: to resurrect the soul beneath the Saigyou Ayakashi

TH07.5 · 2004

Endless Banquet

Suika Ibuki: boredom; desire for eternal companionship

TH08 · 2004

Eternal Night Incident

Kaguya Houraisan / Eirin: concealing lunar exiles from the Moon's forces

TH09 · 2005

Simultaneous Flower Bloom

Natural 60-year cycle, compounded by Komachi's dereliction

TH10 · 2007

Moriya Shrine Takeover

Yasaka Kanako: harvesting faith in a new territory

TH10.5 · 2008

Scarlet Weather Phenomenon

Tenshi Hinanawi: pure entertainment; celestial boredom

TH11 · 2008

Geyser Eruptions

Utsuho Reiuji: uncontrolled nuclear fusion after absorbing Yatagarasu

TH12 · 2009

UFO Sightings (Treasure Ship Incident)

Byakuren's followers: resurrecting their sealed leader

TH13 · 2011

Divine Spirit Swarm

Toyosatomimi no Miko: collateral from her resurrection

TH13.5 · 2012

Urban Legends Manifestation (1st)

Hata no Kokoro: emotional instability from her lost hope mask

TH14 · 2013

Reverse Incident

Seija Kijin: overturning Gensokyo's entire power structure

TH14.5 · 2015

Urban Legend Manifestation (2nd)

Sumireko Usami: psychic dream projection from the Outside World

TH15 · 2015

Lunar Purification Invasion

Junko and Hecatia: revenge against the Lunar Capital

TH16 · 2017

Four Seasons Disorder

Okina Matara: talent search for worthy successors

TH17 · 2019

Animal Spirit Invasion

Keiki Haniyasushin: recruiting human defenders for Hell

TH18 · 2021

Card Distribution Anomaly

Zanmu Nippaku: economic manipulation through supernatural trading cards

Species Guide

Human

Ordinary mortals with special training or abilities. Relatively fragile but occasionally produce exceptional individuals. In Gensokyo, humans provide the fear that sustains youkai.

Reimu · Marisa · Sakuya · Sanae · Keine · Mokou (immortal)

Youkai

General supernatural beings from Japanese folklore. Their power and nature vary enormously. Sustained by human belief and fear; threatened by modernity and skepticism.

Rumia · Suika · Yuuka · Most characters

Vampire

Blood-drinking immortals of European origin, incongruous with Gensokyo's Japanese setting. Weakened by sunlight, garlic, and running water, though exact vulnerabilities vary by individual.

Remilia Scarlet · Flandre Scarlet

Oni

Demon-like beings of enormous physical strength and pride. Traditionally honest, they consider deception beneath their dignity. Many left Gensokyo when the Spell Card Rules were established, viewing them as dishonorable.

Suika Ibuki · Yuugi Hoshiguma

Tengu

Bird-like mountain spirits organized in a strict hierarchical society on Youkai Mountain. Crow tengu are the most common; white wolf tengu serve as guards and sentinels. They maintain their own newspaper and governance structure.

Aya Shameimaru · Momiji Inubashiri · Hatate Himekaidou

Kappa

Water-dwelling engineers and inventors. Gensokyo's kappa are technological enthusiasts who collect Outside World technology and adapt it for local use. Shy but friendly when approached correctly.

Nitori Kawashiro

Fairy

Nature spirits of limited intelligence and power, representing natural phenomena. They are functionally immortal (revival is nearly instant), which makes them cavalier about danger. Individually weak; devastating in swarms.

Cirno · Sunny Milk · Luna Child · Star Sapphire · Clownpiece

Ghost / Spirit

Spirits of the deceased who remain in the world for various reasons: unfinished business, denial, or unusual circumstances like consuming immortality elixirs.

Saigyouji Yuyuko · Youmu (half) · Prismriver Sisters

Tsukumogami

Objects that gained sentience after 100 years of existence, often amplified by being discarded or abandoned. Their personalities tend to reflect their object's purpose and the circumstances of their abandonment.

Kogasa · Benben · Yatsuhashi · Raiko · Medicine · Kokoro

Satori

Mind-reading youkai who perceive all thoughts involuntarily through their third eye. This ability makes genuine relationships nearly impossible, as others cannot tolerate the exposure. Extremely rare; known Gensokyo population: two.

Komeiji Satori · Komeiji Koishi (eye closed)

Lunarian

Beings of the Lunar Capital who consider themselves superior to terrestrial life. Their civilization is characterized by absolute purity; impurity, including death, cannot coexist with them. Exceptionally long-lived; effectively immortal through purity rather than magic.

Kaguya · Eirin · Reisen · Sagume · Watatsuki Sisters

Hermit / Xian

Immortals who achieved longevity through Taoist cultivation rather than external means. Their immortality is earned through discipline and self-refinement, contrasting with the Hourai Elixir's shortcut.

Kaku Seiga · Toyosatomimi no Miko · Mononobe no Futo · Ibara Kasen