• Welcome to Touhou Wiki!
  • Registering is temporarily disabled. Check in our Discord server to request an account and for assistance of any kind.

Gensokyo: Difference between revisions

From Touhou Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
No edit summary
Line 23: Line 23:
{{Main|:Category:Locations|l1=Category: Locations}}
{{Main|:Category:Locations|l1=Category: Locations}}


Gensokyo, the area encompassed by the [[Great Hakurei Barrier]], is a landlocked territory at least some tens of kilometers in diameter, although its exact size has not been mentioned in [[canon]] materials. Notable geographic features include the [[Youkai Mountain]] with communities of [[kappa]] at its base, [[tengu]] at its peak, and the [[Moriya Shrine]] at a lake near the top; the [[Forest of Magic]]; the [[Bamboo Forest of the Lost]] where [[Eientei]] is located; the Misty Lake surrounding the [[Scarlet Devil Mansion]]; the [[Human Village]], which is assumed to be in a fertile valley next to the [[Myouren Temple]]; and the [[Sanzu River]] separating Gensokyo from [[Higan]].
Gensokyo, the area encompassed by the [[Great Hakurei Barrier]], is a landlocked territory at least some tens of kilometers in diameter, although its exact size has not been mentioned in [[canon]] materials. Notable geographic features include the [[Youkai Mountain]] with communities of [[kappa]] at its base, [[tengu]] at its peak, and the [[Moriya Shrine]] at a lake near the top; the [[Forest of Magic]]; the [[Bamboo Forest of the Lost]] where [[Eientei]] is located; the [[Misty Lake]] next to the [[Scarlet Devil Mansion]]; the [[Human Village]] and adjacent [[Myouren Temple]], which are assumed to be in a fertile valley; and the [[Sanzu River]] separating Gensokyo from [[Higan]].


Although passing through the Hakurei Barrier to the [[Outside World]] is virtually impossible for anyone besides [[Yukari Yakumo]], it is significantly easier for Gensokyo denizens to access domains of gods, demons, and dead souls which are not strictly part of Gensokyo itself.  These include [[Higan]], the [[Netherworld]], [[Makai]], [[Heaven]], and the [[Underworld]].
Although passing through the Hakurei Barrier to the [[Outside World]] is virtually impossible for anyone besides [[Yukari Yakumo]], it is significantly easier for Gensokyo denizens to access domains of gods, demons, and spirits which are not strictly part of Gensokyo itself.  These include [[Higan]], the [[Netherworld]], [[Makai]], [[Heaven]], and the [[Underworld]].


The [[Cage in Lunatic Runagate/Fourth Chapter|fourth chapter]] of ''[[Cage in Lunatic Runagate]]'' reveals that the Youkai Mountain preserves the original appearance of Mount Yatsugatake before [[Konohana-Sakuyahime]], the goddess of Mount Fuji, tore it down out of jealousy. In the [[outside world]] today, the remnants of the mountain can be seen as the [[Wikipedia:Yatsugatake Mountains|Yatsugatake mountain range]] in [[Wikipedia:Yatsugatake-Chūshin Kōgen Quasi-National Park|Yatsugatake-Chūshin Kōgen Quasi-National Park]] between Nagano and Yamanashi Prefectures, providing an indication of where Gensokyo would be located in Japan. {{nihongo|[[Wikipedia:Lake Suwa|Lake Suwa]]|諏訪湖|Suwa-ko}} and Mt. Moriya, which [[Suwako Moriya]] were named after, are located nearby.
The [[Cage in Lunatic Runagate/Fourth Chapter|fourth chapter]] of ''[[Cage in Lunatic Runagate]]'' reveals that the Youkai Mountain preserves the original appearance of Mount Yatsugatake before [[Konohana-Sakuyahime]], the goddess of Mount Fuji, tore it down out of jealousy. In the [[outside world]] today, the remnants of the mountain can be seen as the [[Wikipedia:Yatsugatake Mountains|Yatsugatake mountain range]] in [[Wikipedia:Yatsugatake-Chūshin Kōgen Quasi-National Park|Yatsugatake-Chūshin Kōgen Quasi-National Park]] between Nagano and Yamanashi Prefectures, providing an indication of where Gensokyo would be located in Japan. {{nihongo|[[Wikipedia:Lake Suwa|Lake Suwa]]|諏訪湖|Suwa-ko}} and Mount Moriya, which [[Suwako Moriya]] were named after, are located nearby.


==Creatures==
==Creatures==

Revision as of 16:55, 26 May 2013

幻想郷 (げんそうきょう)
Gensokyo
Gensoukyou, Gensoukyo
SWROpLandscape.jpg
Gensokyo landscape from the opening sequence of Scarlet Weather Rhapsody
Location

Said to be located near the Yatsugatake Mountains in Japan.

Appearances
Official Games
Print Works
Music CDs
  • Mentioned in all the CDs
Other

Gensokyo (幻想郷 gensoukyou[1], "Land of Illusions" or "Land of Fantasy") is the fictional land in which the entire Touhou Project takes place. Its culture vaguely resembles that of feudal Japan, with a lot of folktale elements added on.

Gensokyo was originally a desolate, haunted region of Japan ages ago. The youkai that lived there began to terrorize the surrounding lands, and thus powerful, heroic humans were sent to exorcise and exterminate them. The off and on battle between humans and youkai continued on until 1885 A.D., when Gensokyo was sealed off from this increasingly scientific and skeptical world with the creation of the Great Hakurei Barrier. There has been little contact between those societies ever since. Today, the only known gateway between Gensokyo and this world is the Hakurei Shrine, which stands in isolation along the border on distant mountains of the far east.

Gensokyo is populated mainly by youkai, but a decent human and rabbit population lives there as well. Some of its inhabitants went there to hide, to escape, to find shelter when no-one and nowhere else would accept them. Many of them just like the natural darkness.

Geography

Gensokyo, the area encompassed by the Great Hakurei Barrier, is a landlocked territory at least some tens of kilometers in diameter, although its exact size has not been mentioned in canon materials. Notable geographic features include the Youkai Mountain with communities of kappa at its base, tengu at its peak, and the Moriya Shrine at a lake near the top; the Forest of Magic; the Bamboo Forest of the Lost where Eientei is located; the Misty Lake next to the Scarlet Devil Mansion; the Human Village and adjacent Myouren Temple, which are assumed to be in a fertile valley; and the Sanzu River separating Gensokyo from Higan.

Although passing through the Hakurei Barrier to the Outside World is virtually impossible for anyone besides Yukari Yakumo, it is significantly easier for Gensokyo denizens to access domains of gods, demons, and spirits which are not strictly part of Gensokyo itself. These include Higan, the Netherworld, Makai, Heaven, and the Underworld.

The fourth chapter of Cage in Lunatic Runagate reveals that the Youkai Mountain preserves the original appearance of Mount Yatsugatake before Konohana-Sakuyahime, the goddess of Mount Fuji, tore it down out of jealousy. In the outside world today, the remnants of the mountain can be seen as the Yatsugatake mountain range in Yatsugatake-Chūshin Kōgen Quasi-National Park between Nagano and Yamanashi Prefectures, providing an indication of where Gensokyo would be located in Japan. Lake Suwa (諏訪湖 Suwa-ko) and Mount Moriya, which Suwako Moriya were named after, are located nearby.

Creatures

Creatures of all shapes and sizes inhabit the world of Gensokyo, most drawing inspiration from Japanese legends and folklore.

Humans are one of the major populations in Gensokyo. Youkai essentially make up the rest, though "youkai" tends to be an umbrella term, and essentially can be used to encompass everything non-human. Many youkai are sub-classified into other races, such as devils, magicians, vampires, fairies, kappa, and oni.

Many types of spirits also inhabit the world, such as Ghosts, Poltergeists, Evil spirits, Divine spirits, a number of Tsukumogami, and apparitions.

Items

Hakurei Shrine collapsed and needs rebuilding Attention: This article is a stub and it needs expanding with more information related to the article's topic. If you can add to it in any way, please do so.

Media

Hakurei Shrine collapsed and needs rebuilding Attention: This article is a stub and it needs expanding with more information related to the article's topic. If you can add to it in any way, please do so.

Timeline

Hakurei Shrine collapsed and needs rebuilding Attention: This article is a stub and it needs expanding with more information related to the article's topic. If you can add to it in any way, please do so.

Gensokyo in non-Touhou works

The first (possible) mention of Gensokyo outside the Touhou Project could be in the Seihou Project's first game Shuusou Gyoku in the Extra Stage. From there, it's presumed that VIVIT travelled down the Silk Road towards the Hakurei Shrine to find the Holy Grail.

In Uwabami Breakers, Isami Asama heard a story that if you drink at the Twilight Bar Room until morning, you'd see "A mysterious world of curtain fire," referring to Gensokyo. Also, it's presumed that the Twilight Bar Room is located in the outside world.

Gensokyo may have been referenced in Project Blank's first game Samidare, where C23 encounters Yuki and Mai in the 3rd area of the Extra stage, with normal enemies as bakebake and the background has a resemblance of a Shinto theme.

Further Reading

Notes

^  Though "Gensoukyou" or "Gensōkyō" are considered correct, it is spelled "Gensokyo" in Perfect Cherry Blossom's Phantasm Stage while "Gensoukyo" is used on The Grimoire of Marisa's back cover.