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{{Infobox Series
| nameJp       =東方Project
| nameEn       =Touhou Project
| nameIPA      =to̞ːho̞ː pɺ̠o̞d͡ʑʲe̞ct, to̞ːho̞ː pɯᵝɺ̠o̞d͡ʑʲe̞kɯᵝto̞
| nameAlt      I'm in=Toho Project, Touhou Series, Project Shrine Maiden
| image        =[[File:thlogo.jpg|Touhou Project logo]]
| caption      =
| creator      =Team Shanghai Alice
| yractive     =1996-present
| installments =*32 games
| sub          =*''[[ZUN's Music Collection]]''
*''[[Touhou Kourindou]]''
*''[[Touhou Bougetsushou]]''
*''[[Touhou Sangetsusei]]''
*''[[Akyu's Untouched Score]]''
*''[[Touhou Ibarakasen]]''
*''[[Touhou Suzunaan]]''
*''[[Touhou Chireikiden]]''
*''[[Touhou Suichouka]]''
| website      =*http://www16.big.or.jp/~zun/
*[http://kourindou.exblog.jp ZUN's exblog]
*[http://twitter.com/korindo Twitter]
*[https://touhou-project.news/ Touhou Yomoyama News]
}}
The {{nihongo|'''Touhou Project'''|東方Project}}, also {{nihongo|'''東方プロジェクト'''||Touhou Purojekuto}} or '''Project Shrine Maiden''', is a Japanese [[doujin]] game series that specialises in [[shoot 'em up]]s by sole [[Team Shanghai Alice]] member [[ZUN]]. Generally, it's a series of 2D (with 3D background) vertically-scrolling [[danmaku]] shooting games, that also creates related [[Official Literature|print works]] and [[music CDs]]. There are also seven spinoffs co-produced with [[Twilight Frontier]], called "danmaku action games." The works of ''Touhou Project'' are sometimes called the {{nihongo|'''Touhou Series'''|東方シリーズ|Tōhō shirīzu}} for convenience.

The [[wikipedia:Guinness World Records|Guinness World Records]] named the Touhou Project as the "world's most prolific fan-made shooter series."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://web.archive.org/web/20130424041751/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records-8000/most-prolific-fan-made-shooter-series/|title=Most prolific fan-made shooter series|publisher=Guinness World Records|accessdate=22 August 2011}}</ref>

==General Information==
The setting of the ''Touhou Project'' lies in a haunted region of Japan called {{nihongo|[[Gensokyo]]|幻想郷|Gensōkyō|lit. "Land of Illusions" or "Land of Fantasy"}}, sealed away from the [[outside world]] by the [[Great Hakurei Barrier]]. [[Reimu Hakurei]] is the protagonist of the project, who lives at the [[Hakurei Shrine]] that lies on the said barrier. She, along with the secondary character [[Marisa Kirisame]], set out to solve various [[incident]]s that happen throughout the land, mostly caused by youkai. With this, they're both youkai exterminators.

The land is mainly inhabited by [[human]]s and [[youkai]] alike, who live in their own regions. Humans mostly settle in the [[Human Village]], whilst youkai can be found mostly anywhere, such as the [[Youkai Mountain]], the [[Forest of Magic]] and [[Makai]]. Some species include [[magician]]s, [[beast]]s, [[vampire]]s, [[ghost]]s, [[tengu]], [[mermaid]]s, and [[kappa]]. There are other species that could be youkai depending on definition, such as [[Fairy|fairies]], [[spirit]]s, [[phantom]]s, [[vengeful spirit]]s, [[poltergeist]]s, [[hermit]]s, [[oni]] and [[god]]s.

Long before the Touhou Project 's story begins, there lived many youkai as well as some humans in the area. After a few humans lost their way into Gensokyo, humans became afraid of approaching this area, although others settled here for the sake of youkai extermination. However, as time went on, humans developed civilisation and multiplied in number, and thus the youkai became distressed about how this would affect the balance between humans and youkai. Thus, 500 years before the events of ''[[the Embodiment of Scarlet Devil]]'', [[Yukari Yakumo]] developed the "boundary of phantasm and substance", which was favoured by the youkai and protected the balance. This was called the "Youkai Expansion Project" and made Gensokyo a phantasmal world that automatically called out to the weakened youkai of the outside world. Other things that disappear from the outside world, like extinct animals, lost tools and architecture, also became abundant in Gensokyo. Since Gensokyo was a plot of land in Japan that was separated by a barrier, it is Japan that is immediately outside of this barrier.

As a result of the seal, Gensokyo became inaccessible from the outside world, and similarly, those in Gensokyo were unable to leave. Gensokyo's existence could not be confirmed from the outside world, nor could the outside world be confirmed within Gensokyo. As a result, the isolated community developed its own civilisation, different from that of the outside world. Although separated by a barrier, it is a bordering world to its outside, as opposed to being in a parallel universe. There are no seas in Gensokyo, since it is an inland mountain.

In present Gensokyo in all Touhou games, as opposed to the outside world where unscientific phenomena were dismissed as "superstition" by the time of the Meiji era, magical and spiritual qualities prevail. The only known gateway from the outside world into Gensokyo is the Hakurei Shrine. The [[spell card]] rules were also established to keep up the relationship between humans and youkai, which is necessary for the preservation of the balance of Gensokyo. The Great Hakurei Barrier, managed by Reimu, was constructed in the year 1885, which is described as a "barrier of common sense" and is thus a strong logical barrier that not even youkai can normally pass through. The youkai were at first against its construction, but then gradually understood its usefulness.

===In-game events===
In Gensokyo, [[incident]]s occur once in a while, where there's an event that affects all of Gensokyo with an unknown cause at the time it occurs.<ref name="PMiSSReimu">''[[Perfect Memento in Strict Sense]]'': [[Perfect Memento in Strict Sense/Reimu Hakurei|Reimu Hakurei]]</ref> Touhou games mainly focuses on incidents in its stories, but there are also works such as ''[[Mountain of Faith]]'' that are about events other than incidents.

Frequently, incidents are due to a youkai's whim or curiosity, and usually Reimu (and on some cases others imitators such as Marisa) would go to investigate it to then find and punish the perpetrator. When a major incident occurs, the spirits and fairies are affected by the circumstances, the incident, and the perpetrator, and experience an increase in power for the duration incident, so there are also cases where a mere fairy can defeat Reimu. It has additionally been stated that people of the village also go out to resolve incidents.<ref name="PMiSSHV">''[[Perfect Memento in Strict Sense]]'': [[Perfect Memento in Strict Sense/Human Village|Human Village]]</ref>

The Touhou Project does use the [[Wikipedia:Gregorian calendar|Gregorian calendar]], but since the moon is more important to youkai, there exists the "Youkai Lunisolar Calendar" in Gensokyo, and although it's not used except for some youkai, it features prominently in works that have dates, such as ''[[Bohemian Archive in Japanese Red]]''. This calendar doesn't merely take into account the waxing and waning of the moon, but also its colour and the cycles of its edge, and has a 13th intercalary month called Uruu. The smallest unit of this calendar is the month, and the calendar era, called "~th season", goes through a sexagenary cycle. ''the Embodiment of Scarlet Devil'' occurred in the 118th season, ''[[Immaterial and Missing Power]]'' and ''[[Perfect Cherry Blossom]]'' in the 119th, and ''[[Phantasmagoria of Flower View]]'' in the 120th. The opening of the "Gensokyo Chronicles" to the public was on the 121st season. This calendar is set such that the end of [[Wikipedia:World War II|World War II]] is on the 60th season.

==Name and Concept==
{{nihongo|'''Touhou'''|東方}} means "Eastern" and can refer to some or all of the areas, cultures or histories within [[wikipedia:East Asia|East Asia]]. Historically, the term "the Orient" was widely used to refer to trade goods, artwork, literature, other items or topics related to countries in East Asia such as China, Japan, Korea or Vietnam. Officially, "Project Shrine Maiden" is the term for referring the series in English, but the English-speaking community regardlessly calls it the "Touhou Project" like the Japanese do. According to the Music Room Special in ''[[Mystic Square]]'', the naming scheme of {{lang|ja|東方ＯＯＯ}} originally came from one of the first songs he composed for ''[[Highly Responsive to Prayers]]'', called {{nihongo|Touhou Kaikidan|東方怪奇談}}. With some exceptions, the title of games/books/CDs of the ''Touhou Project'' are all under the format as shown in the following table:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| '''Format:'''|| Japanese main title || double byte space || double byte wave dash || single byte space || English subtitle || single byte period/full stop
|-
| '''Example:''' || {{lang|ja|東方紅魔郷}} || '{{lang|ja|　}}' || '{{lang|ja|～}}' || ' ' || [[the Embodiment of Scarlet Devil]] || '.'
|}

===Designation===
In the Japanese community – along with the Chinese and Korean communities – the works are usually referred by the main title without the ''Touhou'' (e.g. {{nihongo||紅魔郷|Koumakyou}} for ''{{lang|ja|東方紅魔郷}}　～ the Embodiment of Scarlet Devil''). For short, they're referred by their third kanji/hanzi/hanja (e.g. {{lang|ja|紅}}). However for some titles, there are exceptions:
*''Hisoutensoku'' → {{nihongo|天則||Tensoku}} or {{nihongo|則||soku}}
*''Double Spoiler'' → DS
*''Fairy Wars'' → Mostly {{nihongo|大戦争||Daisensou}}; if abbreviation is needed, just {{lang|ja|大}} is used
*''Bohemian Archive in Japanese Red'' → {{nihongo|書籍文花帖||Bunkachou}}
*''Perfect Memento in Strict Sense'' → (before SoPm) {{nihongo|求聞||Gumon}}, (after SoPm) {{nihongo|史記||Shiki}}
*''The Grimoire of Marisa'' → {{nihongo|グリモア||Gurimoa}}
*''Symposium of Post-mysticism'' → {{nihongo|口授||Kuju}}
*''Curiosities of Lotus Asia'' → {{nihongo|香霖堂||Kourindou}}
*''Silent Sinner in Blue'' → {{nihongo|儚月抄||Bougetsushou}}
*''Cage in Lunatic Runagate'' → {{nihongo|小説抄||Shou}}
*''Inaba of the Moon and Inaba of the Earth'' → Most commonly {{nihongo|うどんげっしょー||Udon Gesshou}}
*Music CDs are all referred by their full Japanese title, and Sangetsusei are called by "{{lang|ja|三月精}}" (''Sangetsusei'') + volumes.

In the Western community (English, French, Spanish, etc.), they're referred by their English subtitles (e.g. ''the Embodiment of Scarlet Devil''). For short, they're referred via unofficial acronyms of the subtitles (e.g. EoSD). The leading "the" is sometimes omitted in the former, but always in the latter. Works without an English subtitle may be referred by their main title, as with ''Touhou Hisoutensoku'' (Soku) and ''The Grimoire of Marisa'' (GoM), or by their translated subtitle, as with ''Inaba of the Moon and Inaba of the Earth'' (IotMaIotE).

==="Series" terminology===
While some people refer to the ''Touhou Project'' as {{nihongo|"Touhou Series"|東方シリーズ|Tōhō shirīzu}}, [[ZUN]] himself has a tendency to avoid using this term. He has given a reason to this  - he said that he has been avoiding the term because it's been established to have an image of "commercialism". He also said that Touhou is hard to be considered as a "series" - since system, story and characters are all unrelated per each work and only the worldview is same.
But it should be noted that right after he said that he finished his line with: "''...Well, it is a series though.''" making the audience burst out laughing.<ref>[[ZUN's Gensou Denshou Lecture]]</ref> He has also used the term a few times in the past himself,<ref>[[Story of Eastern Wonderland]] - [[Story_of_Eastern_Wonderland/Music#Final_Boss_-_Mima.27s_theme|Complete Darkness (東方幻想的音楽 arrangement)]]</ref> in addition to it appearing in print works.<ref>[[Curiosities of Lotus Asia]] - [[Curiosities of Lotus Asia/Chapter 16|Chapter 16]]</ref><ref>[[Shanghai Alice Correspondence Three Fairies Version/Extra|Shanghai Alice Correspondence Three Fairies Version - volume EX]]</ref>

===Japanese culture===
{{main|Touhou and Japanese culture}}
The ''Touhou Project'' has a lot of aspects of Japanese mythology, traditions and religion present, including texts such as the ''Kojiki'' and the ''Nihon Shoki''. Many characters and stories are to at least some extent based on folklore, often more so than modern culture, making the series more traditional than modern itself.

===Modern Science===
{{main|Touhou and Modern Science}}
Modern science and technology hold very little aspects in the ''Touhou Project'', but has become quite common in recent material.

==Works==
{|
|-
|
{| class="outcell" style="width:400px;" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="4"
|-
! class="incell" | [[PC-98]] Games
|-
|
{{HRtP}}<br />
{{SoEW}}<br />
{{PoDD}}<br />
{{LLS}}<br />
{{MS}}
|-
! class="incell" | [[Windows]] Games
|-
|
{{EoSD}}<br />
{{PCB}}<br />
{{IaMP}}<br />
{{IN}}<br />
{{PoFV}}<br />
{{StB}}<br />
{{MoF}}<br />
{{SWR}}<br />
{{SA}}<br />
{{UFO}}<br />
{{HSTS}} <br />
{{DS}} <br />
{{FW}} <br />
{{TD}}<br />
{{HM}}<br />
{{DDC}}<br />
{{ISC}}<br />
{{GR}}<br />
{{ULiL}}<br />
{{LoLK}}<br />
{{AoCF}}<br />
{{HSiFS}}<br />
{{VD}}<br />
{{WBaWC}}<br />
{{GYIB}} <br />
{{UM}}<br />
{{100thBM}}
|-
! class="incell" | ZUN's Music Collection
|-
|
{{DiPP}}<br />
{{GFC}}<br />
{{CoSD}}<br />
{{R53m}}<br />
{{MA}}<br />
{{UFMJ}}<br />
{{TGA}}<br />
{{NtoJ}}<br />
{{DrLFR}}<br />
{{DBOA}}<br />
{{RCS}} 
|}
| valign="top" |
{| class="outcell" style="width:487px;" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="4"
|-
! class="incell" | ''[[Akyu's Untouched Score]]''
|-
|
{{Akyu|1}}<br />
{{Akyu|2}}<br />
{{Akyu|3}}<br />
{{Akyu|4}}<br />
{{Akyu|5}}
|-
! class="incell" | Danmaku Action Game soundtracks
|-
|
{{IaMP OST}}<br />
{{SWR OST}}<br />
{{HSTS OST}}<br />
{{HM OST}}<br />
{{ULiL OST}}<br />
{{ULiL OST 2}}<br />
{{AoCF OST}}<br/ >
{{GYIB OST}}
|-
! class="incell" | Written Works
|-
|
{{CoLA}}<br />
{{BAiJR}}<br />
{{SDV}}<br />
{{PMiSS}}<br />
{{GoM}}<br />
{{SoPm}}<br />
{{SCoOW}}<br />
{{AFiEU}}<br/>
{{GoU}}
|-
! class="incell" | Comics
|-
|'''''[[Touhou Sangetsusei]]'' Series'''<br />
{{EaLND}}<br />
{{SaBND}}<br />
{{OSP}}<br />
{{VFiS}}

'''''[[Touhou Bougetsushou]]'' Series'''<br />
{{SSiB}}<br />
{{CiLR}}<br />
{{IoM&IoE}}

'''Other'''<br />
{{WaHH}}<br />
{{FS}}<br />
{{LE}}<br />
{{CDS}}
|}
|}

==System==

{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto"
|+ Absence or presence of fundamental controls
|-
! style="text-align:left" |
! HRtP !! SoEW !! PoDD !! LLS !! MS !! EoSD !! PCB !! IN !! PoFV !! StB !! MoF !! SA !! UFO !! DS !! FW !! TD !! DDC !! ISC !! GR !! LoLK !! HSiFS !! VD !! WBaWC !! UM !! HBM
|- style="border-top: 2px #aaa solid"
! style="text-align:left" | Player Character selection
| × || × || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || × || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || × || ○ || ○ || × || × || ○ || ○ || × || ○ || ○ || ×
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Weapon choice
| × || ○ || × || ○ || × || ○ || ○ || × || × || × || ○ || ○ || ○ || × || × || × || ○ || ○ || × || × || ○ || × || ○ || ○ || ×
|- style="border-top: 2px #aaa solid"
! style="text-align:left" | Slow movement
| × || × || × || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Shot change during slow movement
| × || × || × || × || × || ○ || ○ || ○ || × || × || ○ || ○ || ○ || × || × || ○ || ○ || × || × || ○ || × || ○ || ○ || ○ || ×
|- style="border-top: 2px #aaa solid"
! style="text-align:left" | Bomb: Bomb gauge consumption
| ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || × || × || × || ○ || × || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || × || ○ || ○ || × || ○ || ○ || ×
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Bomb: Power gauge consumption
| × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || ○ || ○ || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || ○ || ×
|- style="border-top: 2px #aaa solid"
! style="text-align:left" | Extend: Points
| ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || × || ○ || × || × || ○ || × || ○ || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || ○ || × || × || × || ×
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Extend: Special Item Collection
| × || × || × || × || ○ || × || ○ || ○ || × || × || × || ○ || ○ || × || × || ○ || ○ || × || × || × || × || × || ○ || ○ || ○ 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Extend: Other
| × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || ○ || × || × || × || × || ○ || × || ○ || × || × || ×
|- style="border-top: 2px #aaa solid"
! style="text-align:left" | Difficulty: Extra
| × || ○ || × || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || × || ○ || ○ || ○ || × || ○ || ○ || ×
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Difficulty: Phantasm
| × || × || × || × || × || × || ○ || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || ×
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Difficulty: Spoiler
| × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || ○ || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || ×
|- style="border-top: 2px #aaa solid"
! style="text-align:left" | Continue: recover on-spot
| × || ○ || × || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || × || × || × || × || × || × || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || × || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Continue: from beginning of stage
| ○ || × || ○ || × || × || × || × || × || ○ || × || ○ || ○ || ○ || × || × || × || × || ○ || × || × || × || ○ || × || × || ×
|- style="border-top: 2px #aaa solid"
! style="text-align:left" | Different game modes
| × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || ○ || × || × || × || × || × 
|- style="border-top: 2px #aaa solid"
! style="text-align:left" | Achievement system
| × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || × || ○ || × || × || × || ○ || ○ || ○ || ○ 
|- style="border-top: 2px #aaa solid"
! style="text-align:left" |
! HRtP !! SoEW !! PoDD !! LLS !! MS !! EoSD !! PCB !! IN !! PoFV !! StB !! MoF !! SA !! UFO !! DS !! FW !! TD !! DDC !! ISC !! GR !! LoLK !! HSiFS !! VD !! WBaWC !! UM !! HBM
|}

==Additional Information==
*The ''Touhou Project'' was nominated for the 11th annual [[Wikipedia:Japan Media Arts Festival|Media Arts Awards]] awards held by Japan's [[Wikipedia:Agency for Cultural Affairs|Agency for Cultural Affairs]], under the Entertainment category.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://plaza.bunka.go.jp/open/works.html|title=2007 11th Japan Media Arts Festival Open form|publisher=Japan Media Arts Plaza, [[Wikipedia:Agency for Cultural Affairs|Agency for Cultural Affairs]]|accessdate=2007-11-19|language=ja}}</ref> However, ''[[Wikipedia:Wii Sports|Wii Sports]]'' by [[Wikipedia:Nintendo|Nintendo]] was given the Grand Prize award and the ''Touhou Project'' failed to win any awards.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://plaza.bunka.go.jp/english/festival/2007/|title=2007 Eleventh Japan Media Arts Festival Award-winning Works|publisher=Japan Media Arts Plaza, Agency for Cultural Affairs|accessdate=2008-02-29}}</ref>
*All of [[ZUN]]'s print works of the Touhou world include all the characters re/appearing in the [[Windows]] series at least once showing that the Windows games have a direct connection to the literature.
*The game ''[[Uwabami Breakers]]'' and the ''[[Seihou Project]]'' series have some relation to the ''Touhou Project'', although they aren't part of it.

==Fandom==
{{Main|Fandom#General Information on the Fandom in Touhou|l1=Fandom: General Information on the Fandom in Touhou}}

==References==
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[[Category:Content]]
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