Esoteric
adjective
”intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest.”
”designed for or understood by the specially initiated alone”
”spiritual knowledge that is believed to facilitate the spiritual change of an individual”
Have you ever taken a moment to think about why Touhou is so popular? What is it that has sustained people's interest for years, while many other media franchises have been abandoned? Is it the adorable cast of characters? The wonderful music? The unique, beautiful presentation? The satisfaction of mastering the gameplay? The vibrant community? ZUN's relaxed attitude towards fan works?
All of these undoubtedly contribute to the series enduring popularity, yet for many, it feels like there is something more to it all. After all, the characters can be as vicious as they are adorable. ZUN's music, art and writing has been as much criticized as praised. The gameplay can be repulsively difficult to people with no experience with danmaku games, and quite often Touhou games are the first introduction to the genre. The community is as much divided as it is united, large enough to form their own niches.
What exactly is it that makes Touhou endure? What is it that causes people to produce endless amounts of art, fan fiction and arrangements of ZUN's music? Is it perhaps some special quality that is difficult to put into words, a kind of quality you too perhaps felt when you for the first time actually played the games? A kind of otherworldly beauty that however has a bit of an edge, bit of danger and challenge about it?
Did you perhaps start feeling that the characters are more than cardboard cutouts made to fit character tropes? Have you felt that they possess a certain sense of reality? Perhaps you started reading about them and found out that there is an amazing amount of very real history and mythology in Gensokyo. History and mythology that are tied to three religions and their associated philosophies that have shaped the culture of Japan – Shinto, Buddhism and Taoism.
Perhaps you familiarized yourself with the stories of the Hifuu Club and discovered the strange fringe science elements in there. Isn't it a bit strange how ZUN has felt the need to create an unusual metanarrative where people from the present day and the future discover the secrets behind Gensokyo and the Lunar Capital?
Did you ever ponder more deeply about ZUN's ideas regarding the Lunar Capital, the three-layered cosmology of the world of Touhou and his ideas surrounding the power of belief and things passing into fantasy? Did you feel like these hit a strange cultural undercurrent that has felt familiar but you have struggled to name?
Do you feel like there is something different about Touhou? How are people so compelled to create content surrounding it, compelled to adopt fabric idols, compelled to bring the characters to life with art, fangames and cosplay? That perhaps when people say it is ”souled” they may be more right than they would ever think?
The texts found within here are intended to give answers to these questions, and some of these answers might be at face value very surprising and difficult to accept. That is OK. These texts have been organized in such a manner that we move from more readily acceptable topics to those that many people would outright reject.
Structure of this document
In part 1 we explore the influence of Shinto, Buddhism and Taoism on Touhou. While this is not a perfect representation of every idea or reference in the world of Touhou (it might over time become such), it paints a picture of ZUN's deep interest in these three religions and traditions that have shaped Japan.
In part 2 we explore some of ZUN's more original contributions and the influence of Western esotericism and fringe science and paranormal theories on Touhou. Beyond the influence of the mythologies and beliefs of his native land, ZUN appears to have an interest in various fringe ideas that have come from elsewhere. This section might also help you to name and contextualize certain ideas in Western culture.
I believe that every fan of Touhou would come more enriched from reading these two parts, no matter how hard to accept or ridiculous some of the ideas in later parts might be. Understanding the cultural context of Touhou will deepen your appreciation of it. If you are a creative person working with Touhou fan works, understanding ZUN's influences might improve your creative process.You might find new topics of interest to explore.
Part 3 introduces substantially more difficult ideas. We explore Touhou as an egregore. Touhou is undeniably such a thing in at least the more cultural-memetic definition of the word, an autonomous cultural entity that has taken on a life of its own. We also explore the possibility that Touhou might be more than just that. As the franchise is deeply rooted in the culture of Japan, more specifically Nagano, and contains enormous amounts of references to real mythologies, it might have attracted very real spirits to dwell within the spirit world it has generated. We explore what these spirits might be and how they are related to certain unusual phenomena that people have experienced since the dawn of time.
More is to come. I am currently working on part 4 which will explore the similarities between playing Touhou and how it relates to certain elements found in forms of spiritual practice. Playing these games might have made you more prepared for such things than you would expect. I believe the three religious traditions presented in the games offer immensely powerful tools for self-development, personal growth and reconnecting to the surrounding world. The critical treatment of established religions in Touhou also makes us aware of the pitfalls associated with them and helps us avoid such.
These texts are not meant to be set in stone, and will be updated and rectified when necessary. They are not meant to be some sort of dogma or final statement. This is as much an exercise in organizing my own findings and thoughts as it is a way to share these findings. I am still very much learning and growing. I strongly encourage you to explore these topics on your own and to form your own opinions. I hope this is a dialogue and not a monologue. And for a handful of self-selecting few this will be the start of a transformative journey.
The Taoists believe that egoistic pursuits lead to nothing but hassle, the Buddhists say that there is no permanent self which even could pursue anything and Shinto embeds those who take part in it into a whole that exceeds the individual. My biggest fear is that this project is nothing but a grand exercise in some form of egoism that goes against these ideas. Unfortunately, the creation of these texts has been one of the happiest, focused, purposeful and effortless things I have ever done, as unlikely that might seem. This is my most natural form of self-expression. This is my monument to the gods.
As much as the sun can't help but shine, I had no other choice but to create this when I finally allowed myself to be what I am. Even if no-one reads this, I will have for a while lived in perfect harmony with my own nature. People have died, killed and wasted decades and fortunes to experience such only to fail in the pursuit. I am truly blessed and I sincerely hope one day you will be too.
And I know that over time, precisely and exactly everyone who needs to read and understand these texts will read and understand them.
