— Gensokyo Record —
This is an isolated place in an eastern country, far from any villages.
In ancient times, this was a place of terror. Those who wandered
too close would be eaten by youkai.
People called this place Gensokyo and never dared to
approach.
Most people feared the youkai, but a brave warrior would
occassionally rise to challenge them. Some of those brave humans settled at Gensokyo to watch
the youkai.
In those times, humans fought with youkai every night.
Such stories were common in this mountain country. There were many places like Gensokyo in that era.
Over a thousand years have passed since that time...
Humans have created
civilization. Nobody fears the dark anymore, not even at midnight, for
they could produce light, bright as day.
Humans have chosen to put their faith in science, shunning
superstition and anything that could not stand up to scientific
scrutiny. Youkai, ghosts and apparitions had no place in the new
world.
Gensokyo was also deemed useless to the new world, so priests sealed it away with a permanent barrier. Youkai and the descendants of the brave humans who kept them in check were sealed away in the process as well...
That marked the end of the age of humans and youkai.
With the passing of time, Gensokyo faded from history...
How many years has it been since the sealing? Gensokyo is much the same; the
many youkai and few humans are still as they were so
long ago.
Youkai have created their own culture, one that is
rich in spirit. Clever youkai prefer richness of the mind over
material riches.
Thanks to their magical culture, youkai could easily breach the barrier around Gensokyo. However, they chose not to do so; in fact, they strengthened the seal in order to prevent more humans from entering.
However, Youkai eat humans and natural humans are favoured as delicacies. Teams of cooks regularly venture beyond the barrier to hunt humans. They apply many methods to conceal their existence from humans of the outer world; accidents and people who run away from home... There are too many humans today for anyone to notice when a few go missing.
Thus, the age of humans and youkai began anew.
Although Gensokyo is a world
of youkai, humans occassionally wander in
accidentally.
This is known as being "spirited away" by the people of the outer
world.
Most humans who wander into Gensokyo don't return. If they are so
fortunate as to be able to return to the outer world alive, they would
be met with an overwhelming mountain of questions.
No one would believe the truth anyway.
"I saw Togenkyo," "I went to Houraisan," or something.
[Both "Togenkyo (桃源郷)" and "Houraisan (蓬莱山)" are legendary places in China.]
Those who visit Gensokyo seem to believe that it is a legendary
paradise.
It looks like an utopia and everything works in favour of the
creatures living in Gensokyo. There is no doubt that it feels like
paradise for humans from the outer world.
Gensokyo is a paradise for many youkai and a few humans. This is how it seems until humans begin to disappear or find their way back to the outer world.
The following is a record of the peaceful and fantastic everyday events that take place in Gensokyo.
P.S.
Why is Gensokyo a paradise for both humans and youkai?
That's because everyone has enough power to defeat youkai in combat,
which is, of course, anything but boring.
(Inscribed by the 13th shrine maiden of the Hakurei Shrine)
Touhou youyoumu ~ Perfect Cherry Blossom
— 0 —
As spring turns to summer, the land is coated in white dreams. People relax and bask in the calm of a winter without end.
However, none of that mattered to dogs and youkai; they're as energetic as ever. There are few humans in Gensokyo so winter spirits are more than able to supply the hustle and bustle that humans aren't making.
The time is ripe for snow to melt away, for snow storms to be
replaced with storms of cherry blossoms.
Even Gensokyo changes with the seasons, but this year...
...Spring has shown no sign of arriving even though it's already May.
— 1 —
Reimu Hakurei, a maiden of the Hakurei shrine who lives in Gensokyo, does not like the cold.
Reimu: "Ahh, it's cold."
Although it's already May, the snowstorm has been growing even stronger over the past few weeks.
Reimu: "Cherry blossoms should have bloomed by now.
Why is there so much snow this year?"
The reason was so obvious that no more words were needed. More talking would have made her colder anyway, so she headed out to take care of the problem at the source instead.
Reimu: "Hmm, it seems to be coming from this direction?"
The shrine is old-fashioned, so it's easily penetrated by wind and other elements. It's as cold inside as it is outside. As usual, the girl turned to her intuition for guidance.
— 2 —
Marisa Kirisame, an ordinary magician, does like the winter unlike ordinary humans.
Marisa: "It's ordinary, but I don't hate spring."
Her house is warmed by a magical heating system. Or rather, the magical rooms warm themselves without heating.
Marisa: "I can't visit the shrine during such a storm."
She saw some petals floating past her house in the storm. They belong to a plant native to a small eastern country; a plant that blooms only during spring.
They were the petals of the cherry tree.
Marisa: "Is this the only place that still feels like winter?
May's already here, but you wouldn't know it from the cold!"
There must be a cherry tree from somewhere along the path of the
wind. The snowstorms and high altitudes on a mountain should cause
flowers to bloom slower, so why were cherry petals coming from that
direction?
The girl decided to follow the trail of cherry blossom petals to find
the spring that wouldn't come.
— 3 —
Sakuya Izayoi, a maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, was sipping black coffee in a warm room.
Sakuya: "We'll run out of charcoal and coffee beans soon."
Indeed, once heating supplies run out, humans won't be able to survive the harsh winter.
Sakuya: "I didn't expect winter to be so long.
If we run out of supplies, the lady will be upset."
No one does house deliveries here. Residents of Gensokyo prepare food and supplies for an entire winter in advance; a poorly prepared stash may be completely destroyed by a storm. It's a tradition that has not changed in a long time.
Sakuya: "I may meet my end by cold and starvation before this winter meets its end.
My lady, I'll be away until spring comes."
The lady of the house was certain that spring would arrive any day now, so she was perfectly happy to let Sakuya go.
— 4 —
Gensokyo is truly
experiencing an eternal-ish winter.
May has only seen the coming of stronger snow storms.
There is a secret place in Gensokyo that is already enjoying the full bloom of spring.
Literally no living human knows
about it...
...And there were few humans in Gensokyo to begin with.
Spring has yet to come.
Translation from TouhouWiki