Touhou Project

Touhou Project
Logo of Touhou Project, written as 東方プロジェクト
GenresBullet hell, fighting, block breaker
Developers
Publishers
  • Team Shanghai Alice
  • Alliance Arts
CreatorZUN
Platforms
First releaseHighly Responsive to Prayers
August 15, 1997 (C52)
Latest releaseNew Classic: Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
September 10, 2026

Touhou Project (Japanese: 東方Project), also known as Touhou, is a bullet hell video game series created by independent Japanese developer Jun'ya "ZUN" Ōta. As the sole member of doujin circle Team Shanghai Alice, ZUN has developed and published twenty mainline games, thirteen spin-offs, and one remake since 1997. ZUN has also produced related original music and print media.

ZUN debuted the series at Comiket in 1997 with a pair of games developed for the Japanese PC-98 system. After three more releases and a hiatus, he relaunched the series for Windows with Embodiment of Scarlet Devil in 2002. Mountain of Faith, released in 2007, marked a soft reboot with a new game engine. ZUN continued developing games over the following decade, and started distributing titles digitally on Steam in 2017. In 2026, he began directing Shanghai Alice Reprise, a project to remake earlier games.

While each bullet hell game has individual mechanics, they feature common elements such as a vertically scrolling screen, a small player hitbox, projectiles and bombs, and boss fights. The series is set in Gensokyo, a fantasy land inhabited by humans and creatures from real-world folklore—including yōkai, fairies, gods, and spirits—who are personified as women in a moe style. Supernatural incidents occurring in Gensokyo are resolved by miko Reimu Hakurei and magician Marisa Kirisame. Battles are narratively non-fatal and follow customary spell card rules.

Touhou Project has achieved widespread popularity in Japan, along with a large international fandom. It has spawned an extensive body of doujin fan works, including fan-made video games, artworks, music, and literature, which are frequently sold at conventions like Comiket and Reitaisai. The popularity of the series has been attributed in part to the few restrictions placed by ZUN on the use of his content. The series has also influenced other video game developers and manga artists.

Games

Release timeline
Twilight Frontier collaborations marked with an asterisk (*)
199701. Highly Responsive to Prayers
02. Story of Eastern Wonderland
03. Phantasmagoria of Dim. Dream
199804. Lotus Land Story
05. Mystic Square
1999
2000
2001
200206. Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
200307. Perfect Cherry Blossom
200408. Imperishable Night
07.5. Immaterial and Missing Power*
200509. Phantasmagoria of Flower View
09.5. Shoot the Bullet
2006
200710. Mountain of Faith
200810.5. Scarlet Weather Rhapsody*
11. Subterranean Animism
200912. Undefined Fantastic Object
12.3. Touhou Hisoutensoku*
201012.5. Double Spoiler
12.8. Great Fairy Wars
201113. Ten Desires
2012
201313.5 Hopeless Masquerade*
14. Double Dealing Character
201414.3. Impossible Spell Card
201514.5. Urban Legend in Limbo*
15. Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom
2016
201716. Hidden Star in Four Seasons
15.5. Antinomy of Common Flowers*
201816.5. Violet Detector
201917. Wily Beast and Weakest Creature
2020
202118. Unconnected Marketeers
17.5. Sunken Fossil World*
202218.5. 100th Black Market
202319. Unfinished Dream of All Living Ghost
2024
202520. Fossilized Wonders
202606NC. New Classic: Embodiment of Scarlet Devil

Touhou Project is a doujin video game series created by independent Japanese developer Jun'ya Ōta, known as ZUN. Except for the debut game Highly Responsive to Prayers (1997), a block breaker, the main series consists of twenty mostly bullet hell (danmaku) installments. Official spin-off games include seven fighting games developed in collaboration with Twilight Frontier and six minor bullet hell games. One remake of a main-series game has been released.

The Touhou Project community commonly divides the series into the PC-98 and Windows eras, the latter of which is further divided into two or three generations. The first Windows generation includes games between Embodiment of Scarlet Devil (2002) and Phantasmagoria of Flower View (2005), while the second Windows generation includes games after Mountain of Faith (2007). Under certain approaches, a third Windows generation is defined from Double Dealing Character (2013) onwards.

PC-98 games

Cover art for the first five Touhou Project games

While studying at Tokyo Denki University, ZUN developed the first five Touhou Project games for the PC-98 system, using its 6-channel FM synthesis audio. The games were published by the Amusement Makers, the university's student game development club, which ZUN directed. Originally interested in composing music for fighting games, he decided to create his own games as a way to publish his music.

ZUN began developing Highly Responsive to Prayers as a programming exercise in 1995 and first demonstrated it at the College of Science and Engineering's Hatoyama Cultural Festival in 1996. Inspired by Arkanoid, the game has the player control the miko Reimu Hakurei, who throws a yin-yang orb to clear tiles while dodging projectiles. The second game, Story of Eastern Wonderland, is a bullet hell game featuring more complex projectile patterns that would become a staple in the series. ZUN sold both games at the biannual doujin convention Comiket in August 1997 (Comiket 52), selling 30 copies of the first game and 50 of the second.

ZUN released three more games over the following year. The third, Phantasmagoria of Dim. Dream, released at Comiket 53 in December 1997, is a split-screen bullet hell game similar to Twinkle Star Sprites in which the player competes against a computer opponent in scoring points. Lotus Land Story followed at Comiket 54 in August 1998, and Mystic Square at Comiket 55 in December.

The PC-98's declining popularity, performance issues for action games, and limited graphical and auditory capabilities contributed to the series remaining largely unknown. In total, ZUN sold around 1,000 copies of the PC-98 Touhou Project games.

Windows games

After releasing Mystic Square, ZUN graduated from university and took a hiatus from developing Touhou Project. During this time, he worked at Taito as a game developer and composed music for games created by other members of Amusement Makers. In 2001, ZUN formed the one-man doujin circle Team Shanghai Alice and relaunched Touhou Project for Windows.

2002–2006: Windows relaunch

At Comiket 62 in 2002, ZUN released Embodiment of Scarlet Devil, the sixth game in the series. It marked a notable graphical and auditory improvement from the PC-98 games, changed the setting, and established several core mechanics, including the spell card system, where the boss enemy performs special attacking moves in phases. The player chooses between Reimu Hakurei and Marisa Kirisame, each of whom have two shot types. Perfect Cherry Blossom, released at Comiket 64 in 2003, introduced a visible player hitbox and a boss position indicator. Imperishable Night, released at Comiket 66 in 2004, offered four selectable character pairs and unlockable playthroughs for each character. Together, these games are sometimes bundled as a trilogy.

In 2004, ZUN published Immaterial and Missing Power, a spin-off fighting game numbered 7.5 in the series from fictional chronology, in collaboration with doujin studio Twilight Frontier. At Comiket 68 in August 2005, ZUN released the ninth game Phantasmagoria of Flower View, a battling bullet hell game similar to Phantasmagoria of Dim. Dream in which the player endures a stage against a computer opponent and launches their own spell cards. The spin-off Shoot the Bullet, numbered 9.5, followed at that year's Winter Comiket in December. It is a bullet hell game in which the playable character captures photographs of danmaku attacks as journalist Aya Shameimaru.

2007–2013: Engine overhaul and new mechanics

In 2007, ZUN left Taito to focus on Touhou Project development. Mountain of Faith, the tenth game, was released at Comiket 72 that year. This entry marked a soft reboot for the series, with a total overhaul of the game engine that resulted in substantial design and pacing changes. In 2008, ZUN and Twilight Frontier published the 10.5th game Scarlet Weather Rhapsody, a fighting game that serves as a follow-up to Immaterial and Missing Power with a new combat deck system of moves. The eleventh game, Subterranean Animism, followed at the Summer Comiket, offering three selectable character pairs with distinct gameplay mechanics. Undefined Fantastic Object, the twelfth entry, was released at Summer Comiket in 2009. It reintroduced player spell cards as a separate mechanic and uses a UFO system that grants gameplay benefits.

ZUN subsequently released three spin-offs. The first, Touhou Hisoutensoku, numbered 12.3, was developed in collaboration with Twilight Frontier. The two 2010 releases were the bullet hell games Double Spoiler (the 12.5th entry), a sequel to Shoot the Bullet featuring Hatate Himekaidou as a playable character, and Great Fairy Wars (the 12.8th entry), a spin-off of the manga series Touhou Sangetsusei in which Cirno battles other fairies using freezing attacks. In 2011, Ten Desires, the thirteenth game, was released at Comiket 80; its trance mechanic, activated by a spirit gauge, temporarily grants the player invincibility. In May 2013, ZUN released the 13.5th and fighting game Hopeless Masquerade at Reitaisai, an official Touhou Project convention, which uses a new engine and features an aerial-based combat system.

2013–present: Digital releases and expansion

At Summer Comiket later in 2013, ZUN released the fourteenth game Double Dealing Character, which doubled the screen resolution. It later became the first game to be officially distributed digitally and outside of Japan, by Playism in 2015. In the 14.3rd game Impossible Spell Card, released at the 2014 Reitaisai, the character Seija Kijin encounters especially difficult danmaku patterns that are cleared by using advantageous items. ZUN and Twilight Frontier released the 14.5th and fighting game installment Urban Legend in Limbo in 2015, the PlayStation 4 port of which was released a year later. The 2015 game Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom, released at Comiket 88, has a Pointdevice Mode, which lets players retry from checkpoints after being hit.

In 2017, ZUN began releasing new games digitally on Steam alongside the conventional Comiket sales with the sixteenth game Hidden Star in Four Seasons, which uses gameplay mechanics based on a selected season. He has since also distributed older games digitally. The fighting game Antinomy of Common Flowers, the 15.5th entry, was released at Winter Comiket by ZUN and Twilight Frontier, and was later ported to PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch by Phoenixx Games in 2021. The 16.5th game Violet Detector, released in 2018, follows Sumireko Usami as she uses psychic powers and photography to escape nightmares. Wily Beast and Weakest Creature was released at Comiket in 2019, incorporating an animal spirit system similar to Undefined Fantastic Object.

The eighteenth game Unconnected Marketeers, which has a system of fictional currency to buy in-game cards, was first released digitally in 2021. The 17.5th game Sunken Fossil World, developed in collaboration with Twilight Frontier and ported to the Switch by Phoenixx, was released at Reitaisai the same year as a fighting game and boss rush. The 18.5th installation, 100th Black Market, in commemoration of Comiket 100 in 2022, expands on the mechanics of Unconnected Marketeers in self-contained stages. The nineteenth game, Unfinished Dream of All Living Ghost, was released in 2023 at Comiket 102 with gameplay similar to previous battling bullet hell games. Fossilized Wonders was released in 2025, featuring various different types of stones that affect the player's shot type.

In 2026, Shanghai Alice Reprise, a new team helmed by ZUN and senior developers to remake early Touhou Project titles, launched New Classic: Embodiment of Scarlet Devil. Published by Alliance Arts, it marked the first time any Touhou Project title has been localized outside of Japan, with translations into eleven other languages. It was also the first game released for the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2.

Gameplay

The in-game interface of Perfect Cherry Blossom, with numbers indicating its description on the picture, which are listed at the description
The in-game interface of Perfect Cherry Blossom:
  • 1. Player character (in this case, Reimu Hakurei)
  • 2. High score and current score
  • 3. Player life and bomb counters
  • 4. Firepower gauge and graze counter
  • 5. Enemy spellcard gauge
  • 6. Special item counter ("Cherry Points" in Perfect Cherry Blossom)
  • 7. Enemy spellcard name
  • 8. Enemy location indicator

Touhou Project games are vertically scrolling shoot 'em up games where the player aims to defeat enemies and complete successive stages without being hit by enemy bullets. Each stage has at least one boss; bosses have attack phases (also referred to as spell cards), a pattern of movements and shots that last until the player depletes the boss' health by a certain amount or time runs out.

The player's bullet power increases linearly as the player collects power-ups dropped by enemies and eventually maxes out. The player can also collect point icons to increase their score; life items and bomb items to obtain extra lives and bombs; and (from Subterranean Animism onwards) life pieces and bomb pieces that add up to an extra life/bomb when a sufficient number are collected.

The player can use a bomb to make their character temporarily invulnerable, clear many bullets, and deal heavy damage to all enemies. The player can use one during a short period (about 0.3 seconds) after being hit by a bullet to avoid losing a life, which is known as a deathbomb. The player can also enter focus mode by holding the shift key, which slows down the player's movement, makes their hitbox visible (from Perfect Cherry Blossom onwards), and focuses the player's attacks. In addition, a graze counter tracks how many bullets entered the character sprite but avoided its hitbox, rewarding the player with a score bonus.

Each main Touhou Project game has four difficulty levels: easy, normal, hard, and lunatic. Regardless of the difficulty choice, there are six stages in each game that become progressively harder. In addition, there is an extra stage typically unlocked by completing the game without using any continues. The extra stage is more difficult than normal and less difficult than hard, and contains an especially long boss fight. Some games in the series require a one-credit clear on Normal or above to unlock the extra stage, while on others, it can be done on any difficulty.

Each individual game of the main series from Perfect Cherry Blossom onwards has its own unique gimmick that affects some aspect of gameplay. For example, Perfect Cherry Blossom has cherry points, which are used mostly in scoring, but can grant temporary invulnerability; Imperishable Night has time points, which are essential for advancing to later stages and determine if the player can challenge a boss's final spell on certain difficulties; Mountain of Faith has faith points, which boost certain scoring mechanics.

Plot

Background

The plots of Touhou Project revolve around the strange phenomena that occur in the realm of Gensokyo. Long before Touhou Project's story began, many non-humans, including yōkai, lived with humans in the area. After several humans disappeared into Gensokyo, many became afraid of approaching this area, while others settled there to exterminate yōkai. As time went on, humans developed civilization and multiplied in number, leading yōkai to worry about how this would affect the balance between them. 500 years before Embodiment of Scarlet Devil, the yōkai sage Yukari Yakumo developed the "boundary of phantasm and substance" to protect this balance. This was called the "Yōkai Expansion Project" and made Gensokyo a phantasmal world that attracted the weakened yōkai of the outside world. Other things that disappear from the outside world, like extinct animals, lost tools, and architecture, also appear in Gensokyo.

As a result of the seal, Gensokyo became inaccessible from the outside world, and its inhabitants similarly became unable to leave. The isolated community developed its own civilization, independent from the outside world but still bordering it. In Gensokyo, there are few humans, and various kinds of yōkai, including therianthropes, vampires, bōrei, tengu, mermaids, and kappa. There are other species that may be yōkai depending on definition, like fairies, spirits, yūrei, onryō, poltergeists, hermits, oni, and deities, who are all portrayed in human female form. Otherworldly places such as Heaven and Hell are also accessible from Gensokyo.

In present Gensokyo, the setting of all Touhou Project games since Embodiment of Scarlet Devil, magical and spiritual qualities prevail, unlike in the outside world, where such phenomena were dismissed as "superstition" around the time of the Meiji era. The only known gateway from the outside world into Gensokyo is the Hakurei Shrine on the border of Gensokyo. The "Great Hakurei Barrier," maintained by past Hakurei miko, is described as a "barrier of common sense" that not even yōkai can pass through. The yōkai initially opposed its construction but later came to understand its usefulness. In addition, the spell card rules, which regulate how fights are conducted, were established by Reimu Hakurei to maintain the relationship between humans and yōkai, thereby preserving Gensokyo's balance.

In-game events

In Gensokyo, events called incidents occur once in a while. An incident is an event that affects Gensokyo and is of unknown cause at the time it occurs. The Touhou Project video games mainly focus on incidents that affect the entirety of Gensokyo, but works like Mountain of Faith and many print media also center on lesser-scale events.

Frequently, incidents occur due to a yōkai's whim or curiosity. Reimu Hakurei or Marisa Kirisame then typically go investigate it and chastise the perpetrators. While Reimu and Marisa are usually the ones to resolve incidents, there are cases where other characters resolve them.

Characters

Reimu Hakurei and Marisa Kirisame, the protagonist duo of the series, on the official Touhou magazine Strange Creators of Outer World Vol. 8 cover

Touhou Project is known for its unconventional, almost entirely female roster, which features a cast of over 180 characters.

Though each entry in the series features a collection of different characters, the series's main protagonist is the Hakurei Shrine miko Reimu Hakurei, who is joined by the magician Marisa Kirisame after the second game. They are usually tasked with resolving supernatural incidents caused in and around Gensokyo. However, various games, particularly spin-off ones, have other playable characters, including Sakuya Izayoi, a maid with the ability to stop time; Youmu Konpaku, a half-yūrei gardener and swordswoman; and Sanae Kochiya, a miko and arahitogami.

Characters that frequently appear in the print works include Yukari Yakumo, a yōkai involved with the founding of Gensokyo; Eirin Yagokoro, a Lunarian pharmacist; and Aya Shameimaru, a tengu journalist with the ability to manipulate wind.

ZUN has acknowledged that while the Touhou Project characters have elaborate stories, little detail is given to them in-game, saying that danmaku (bullet hell) is how the story and characters are communicated. Additionally, he has claimed danmaku is meant to be beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, which is also the main reason why the majority of Touhou Project characters are female. ZUN believes there is a feminine charm to bullet hell, which would be lost with male characters, and that the presence of female characters should not be interpreted as fan service.

Other media

Music CDs

ZUN has sold physical CD albums of soundtracks, remixes, and original songs. ZUN's Music Collection consists of eleven albums and two extended plays containing arrangements of music from the games as well as new compositions, usually accompanied with a booklet of vignettes. Since the second album, the stories document the occult activities of the Hifuu Club at a university in futuristic Kyoto. In the loose collection of stories, physicist Renko Usami and psychologist Maribel Hearn research the boundaries of reality and discuss various topics related to the paranormal, unaware of Gensokyo's existence.

Between 2006 and 2007, ZUN released Akyu's Untouched Score, a five-volume collection of remix albums of the PC-98 soundtracks. Original soundtracks for the seven fighting games developed in collaboration with Twilight Frontier have also been released, which are mainly scored by various doujin creators. The Windows bullet hell soundtracks have been available on subscription services since 2021. Several music CDs have accompanied copies of official print works.

Curiosities of Lotus Asia (東方香霖堂, Tōhō Kōrindō; lit. 'Fragrant Rain Temple')
Curiosities of Lotus Asia is a serial novel by written by ZUN with illustrations by Genji Asai and released in 26 installments. It began serialization in Biblos's Colorful Puregirl magazine in January 2004, and it moved to Magazine Elfics after Colorful Puregirl ceased publication in September 2004. Then, the series was moved to the website Elnavi after Magazine Elfics ceased publication in October 2005. Following the bankruptcy of Biblos in April 2006, the series was moved to ASCII Media Works's Dengeki Moeoh magazine and was serialized until October 2007. It was compiled into a book and released on September 30, 2010. The novel is told from the perspective of Rinnosuke Morichika, one of the few male characters depicted in the series and the proprietor of Kourindou (香霖堂), an antique store in Gensokyo. In September 2015, a new serial began in the official Touhou Project magazine Strange Creators of Outer World, with 10 chapters being published as of January 2024.
Touhou Sangetsusei (東方三月精; lit. 'Three Fairies')
Touhou Sangetsusei is a four-part manga series written by ZUN and illustrated by Nemu Matsukura and Makoto Hirasaka. It was published by Kadokawa Shoten and serialized in Comp Ace magazine. The story follows three fairies (Sunny Milk, Luna Child, and Star Sapphire) and documents their daily mischief and adventures in Gensokyo. The first entry, Eastern and Little Nature Deity, was illustrated by Nemu Matsukara, beginning in May 2005. Matsukara gave up the project for health reasons in May 2006, with Makoto Hirasaka taking over for the second entry, Strange and Bright Nature Deity, which was serialized until January 2009. The third entry, Oriental Sacred Place, ran from May 2009 to January 2012; the fourth entry, Visionary Fairies in Shrine, ran from January 2016 to September 2019. The tankōbon volumes of the manga, which each include a CD with new tracks by ZUN, were released on the following dates: Eastern and Little Nature Deity (2007-01-26), Strange and Bright Nature Deity (2008-01-26, 2009-02-18, and 2009-08-26), and Oriental Sacred Place (2010-03-20, 2011-03-26, 2012-03-26). The 12.8th video game in the series, Fairy Wars, is a spin-off of the manga series.

Bohemian Archive in Japanese Red (東方文花帖, Tōhō Bunkachō; lit. 'Word Flower Album')
Bohemian Archive in Japanese Red is the first official fanbook, written by ZUN and published by Ichijinsha on August 11, 2005. It consists of newspaper articles written from the perspective of Aya Shameimaru about events and locations in Gensokyo, interviews with characters, commentary on tracks from previous games and music albums, and an interview with ZUN. It also includes illustrations by various artists, a collection of eight doujinshi, and a new official comic, Extra of the Wind, illustrated by Haniwa. Each copy includes a CD containing a demo of Phantasmagoria of Flower View, three arrangements of the game's music by ZUN, and a wallpaper of the book's cover.
Seasonal Dream Vision (東方紫香花, Tōhō Shikōbana; lit. 'Incense of Violet Flowers')
Seasonal Dream Vision is a semi-official fanbook, published by Comic Toranoana on October 1, 2005. It is an anthology of 12 doujinshi by various artists and contains a short story, A Beautiful Flower Blooming Violet Every Sixty Years (六十年ぶりに紫に香る花), written by ZUN as a supplement to Phantasmagoria of Flower View. It also contains a CD with various fan-made music arrangements and one arrangement by ZUN.
Perfect Memento in Strict Sense (東方求聞史紀, Tōhō Gumonshiki; lit. 'Gumon Histories')
Perfect Memento in Strict Sense is the second official fanbook, published by Ichijinsha on December 27, 2006. It is illustrated by various artists and written by ZUN from the perspective of Gensokyo historian Hieda no Akyuu, primarily containing factual information about various yōkai, such as their "threat levels" and suggested countermeasures. A manga written by ZUN and illustrated by Aki★Eda (秋★枝) based on the book's premise, Memorizable Gensokyo (記憶する幻想郷 Kioku-suru Gensōkyō), was previously published in the December 2006 issue of Comic Rex magazine. Each copy includes a CD containing three original FM synthesis tracks by ZUN and a wallpaper of the book's cover.
Touhou Bougetsushou (東方儚月抄; lit. 'Ephemeral Moon Vignette')
Touhou Bougetsushou is a loose collection of works continuing the story of the 8th game in the series, Imperishable Night. It consists of a manga, a novel, and a series of yonkoma strips, serialized in three separate Ichijinsha magazines. The manga, Silent Sinner in Blue, was written by ZUN and illustrated by Aki★Eda and serialized in Comic Rex magazine between June 2007 and April 2009. It follows the attempts of residents of Gensokyo to invade the Lunar Capital by rocket. The first compilation volume, which included a CD with three FM synthesis tracks by ZUN, was released on April 9, 2008. The novel, Cage in Lunatic Runagate, was written by ZUN and serialized in quarterly Chara-Mel magazine between June 2007 and June 2009 and published as a standalone on December 25, 2009. It was illustrated by Tokiame, and offers detailed information and character insight regarding the events of Silent Sinner in Blue. The yonkoma, Inaba of the Moon and Inaba of the Earth (月のイナバと地上の因幡, Tsuki no Inaba to Chijō no Inaba), was serialized in Manga 4-koma Kings Palette between June 2007 and December 2012. It was written and illustrated by Arata Toshihira, and serves as a light-hearted discursion from the main story featuring Reisen Udongein Inaba and Tewi Inaba, who are referenced respectively in the work's title.
The Grimoire of Marisa (グリモワール オブ マリサ, Gurimowāru obu Marisa)
Grimoire of Marisa is the third official fanbook, published by Ichijinsha on July 28, 2009. It is presented in the form of a scrapbook owned by Marisa Kirisame, recording her encounters with noteworthy Spell Cards. It is written by ZUN and illustrated by Takeshi Moriki, with a cover illustration by Genji Asai. It includes a CD with music by ZUN and several wallpapers.
Wild and Horned Hermit (東方茨歌仙, Tōhō Ibarakasen; lit. 'Rose Poem Hermit')
Wild and Horned Hermit is a manga series written by ZUN and illustrated by Aya Azuma, serialized from July 2010 to June 2019 in Ichijinsha's Chara Mel Febri (later Febri) magazine. It introduces protagonist Kasen Ibaraki, a mysterious hermit who descends from the mountains of Gensokyo in order to dispense knowledge to its residents.
Symposium of Post-mysticism (東方求聞口授, Tōhō Gumon Kuju; lit. 'Gumon Oral Teachings')
Symposium of Post-mysticism is the fourth official fanbook, published by Ichijinsha on April 27, 2012. It was written by ZUN and illustrated by various artists, and presented in the form of a dialogue hosted by Marisa Kirisame and featuring Kanako Yasaka, Byakuren Hijiri, and Toyosatomimi no Miko. It features profiles of almost every character from Mountain of Faith to Ten Desires as well as a collection of in-universe newspaper articles from the Bunbunmaru Newspaper and Kakashi Spirit News.
Forbidden Scrollery (東方鈴奈庵, Tōhō Suzunaan; lit. 'Bell Hermitage')
Forbidden Scrollery is a manga series written by ZUN and illustrated by Moe Harukawa, serialized between October 2012 and July 2017 in Comp Ace magazine. The story revolves around Kosuzu Motoori, a collector of various rare and dangerous demon books in Gensokyo and an employee of the Suzunaan book lender. It was licensed for an English-language release by Yen Press and released in seven volumes between November 2017 and May 2019, making it the first Touhou Project print work to be officially translated.
Strange Creators of Outer World (東方外來韋編, Tōhō Gairai Ihen; lit. 'Tomes of External Origins')
Strange Creators of Outer World is an official Touhou Project magazine, supervized by ZUN and published by Kadokawa under their Dengeki Moeoh imprint since September 2015. It features interviews with ZUN and other doujin creators, a continuation of the official novel Curiosities of Lotus Asia, and comics and CDs by various artists, among other related content.
Alternative Facts in Eastern Utopia (東方文果真報, Tōhō Bunka Shinpō; lit. 'Word's End True Report')
Alternative Facts in Eastern Utopia is the fifth official fanbook, published by Kadokawa on March 30, 2017. It was written by ZUN and contains illustrations from various artists. It is presented as Aya Shameimaru's attempt to create a tabloid magazine in the style of those from the outside world, featuring similar content to the earlier fanbook Bohemian Archive in Japanese Red, but in a significantly more chaotic and haphazard format.
The Grimoire of Usami (秘封倶楽部異界撮影記録, Hifū Kurabu Ikai Satsuei Kiroku; lit. 'Secret Sealing Club's Otherworld Photography Record')
The Grimoire of Usami is the sixth official fanbook, published by Kadokawa on April 27, 2019. It primarily features a manga written by ZUN and illustrated by Aya Azuma, with a cover illustration by Genji Asai. In an attempt to emulate the fireworks of the outside world, the residents of Gensokyo decide to hold a grand display of Spell Cards, which is interrupted partway through by a group of unexpected guests.
Foul Detective Satori (<東方智霊奇伝> 反則探偵さとり, <Tōhō Chireikiden> Hansoku Tantei Satori; lit. 'Strange Legend of Wise Spirits')
Foul Detective Satori is a two-part manga series written by ZUN and illustrated by Ginmokusei (銀木犀) and Yuu Akimaki (秋巻ゆう). The first part was illustrated by Ginmokusei and serialized from October 2019 on Kadokawa's ComicWalker website. Due to Ginmokusei's declining health, the series was halted on March 2021. A continuation began in October 2021 with Yuu Akimaki taking over as the artist. The story primarily focuses on the mind-reading yōkai Satori Komeiji, and her investigative mission to hunt down a vengeful spirit causing havoc in Gensokyo.
The Lotus Eaters, Drunk and Sober (東方酔蝶華 〜 ロータスイーター達の酔醒, Tōhō Suichōka ~ Rōtasuītā-tachi no Suisei; lit. 'Drunken Butterfly Flower ~ Drunkening and Sobering of Lotus-Eaters')
The Lotus Eaters, Drunk and Sober is a manga series written by ZUN and illustrated by Mizutaki (水炊き). It began serialization in Kadokawa Shoten's monthly Comp Ace magazine on November 26, 2019. The story follows Miyoi Okunoda, the poster girl of the Geidontei pub in the village, and her various interactions with humans and yōkai. The manga is published digitally in English on Kadokawa's BookWalker website.
Whispered Oracle of Hakurei Shrine (東方幻存神籤 ~ Whispered Oracle of Hakurei Shrine, Tōhō Genzōnmikuji; lit. 'Fantasy Fortune Telling')
Whispered Oracle of Hakurei Shrine is the seventh official fanbook, published by Kadokawa on April 1, 2025. It is written from the perspective of Reimu Hakurei, and features O-mikuji slips for every character that has appeared in the series so far (excluding the PC-98 era).

Development

Touhou Project is a one-man project by Jun'ya Ōta (usually under the pseudonym ZUN), who does all the graphics, music, and programming alone for the bullet hell games, with the exceptions of the portrait art in Fairy Wars, which was done by Makoto Hirasaka. The fighting games were dual efforts with Twilight Frontier, in which ZUN wrote the music and story, and Twilight Frontier created the art and gameplay.

ZUN's first interest in developing video games came during his high school years. While most shoot 'em up games utilise a military or science fiction theme, ZUN wanted a game with a miko main character, and a Shinto aesthetic. ZUN was part of his school's orchestra club, and originally wanted to create music for video games. He went to college, hoping to compose music for fighting games, since they were popular at the time due to Street Fighter II. As he did not know anybody else who was making games that he could put his music in, he made his own games for this purpose, which led to the first Touhou Project game, Highly Responsive to Prayers, being released in 1996. The first game was originally intended as a practice in programming. Touhou Project only became a shooting game series from the second game onwards, because the popularity of shooting games had revived due to RayForce and ZUN had long been a fan of such games. ZUN remarked how the general theme and direction of Touhou only started coming together in the sixth game, Embodiment of Scarlet Devil.

ZUN develops his games with Visual Studio, Adobe Photoshop, and Cubase, according to his interview in Bohemian Archive in Japanese Red. For the development of Fossilized Wonders, ZUN incorporated images generated by artificial intelligence into the game, a decision some Touhou fans criticized. However, he stated that his reason of using AI-generated images had to do with the game's plot, and affirmed a negative stance against generative AI in art.

Reception

Touhou Project has achieved widespread popularity in Japan, with PC Gamer describing it as "perhaps the biggest indie success" in the country. Although it is not traditionally commercially distributed, it nevertheless has a wide reach; according to Takumi Ikeda, a researcher from Tokyo Metropolitan University, the market for Touhou Project derivative works was estimated to have a value of 2 billion Japanese yen in 2011 (US$25,000,000 in 2026).

Heidi Kemps of PC Gamer praised Touhou Project's overall visual elements and soundtrack, calling each game "tremendously fun" with a "distinct personality". She also opined that the lore and characters were a particularly "massive draw" for fans. A reviewer from 4Gamer.net commended the series's worldbuilding, characters, and background music, naming Perfect Cherry Blossom and Imperishable Night as especially enjoyable. Mitsuki of Eplus Spice [ja] also praised Touhou Project's story and music, including its older Japanese setting.

Touhou Project was nominated for the 11th annual Media Arts Awards, held in 2007 by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs, under the Entertainment category where it eventually lost to Nintendo's Wii Sports for the Grand Prize award. The series was inducted into the Guinness World Records in October 2010 as the "most prolific fan-made shooter series". In 2026, Fossilized Wonders, the 20th mainline game, was voted the second-best shooting game at the Dengeki Indie Game Awards.

Fandom

Cosplay of characters from the series
Reimu Hakurei
Momiji Inubashiri
Reisen Udongein Inaba

Demographics

Touhou Project has a large fandom. A 2009 survey of Comiket attendees found that fans had an average age of 24.8 years. In the 2023 Touhou Project Popularity Poll, nearly 40% of respondents were aged 15–19, while about 20% were over 25. A survey by Nikkei Entertainment that same year concluded that respondents in Japan who considered themselves devoted fans had an average age of 23, with a male-to-female ratio of approximately 85:15.

Derivative works

Prayer plaques with Touhou Project characters in Suwa-taisha. Akimiya Kaguraden in Suwa-taisha was used as the background image in Mountain of Faith.

Since the release of Embodiment of Scarlet Devil, fans have created numerous derivative works based on Touhou Project, including doujinshi, music, anime, and doujin games. The series' extensive body of derivative works has led it to be described as an indispensable part of Japanese consumer-generated media.

Doujin culture and conventions

Touhou Project has been characterized as an example of database consumption, with doujin works creating new interpretations of existing character attributes and settings. ZUN has generally encouraged fan creations by imposing few restrictions on the use of his works. His guidelines prohibit unauthorized commercial distribution and the spoiling of endings, require proper attribution, and ask creators to not crowdfund their projects. ZUN has stated that he does not want the series to be officially commercialized.

A graph comparing the participation of doujin circles at Comiket 85 (December 2013)

The first Touhou Project doujinshi appeared at Comiket 65 in December 2003, where seven circles sold derivative works. By Comiket 74 in August 2008, that number had grown to 885 out of the convention's approximately 35,000 circles. The series' popularity declined slightly by the late 2010s, and by 2019, Touhou Project was the fourth-most popular series at Comiket. Dedicated conventions known as Touhou-Only events are also held through Japan, with the largest including Reitaisai in Kanto and Kouroumu in Kansai.

Fan-created media

Fan-made doujin games are a popular genre of derivative works, ranging from adaptations of other games' mechanics with Touhou Project characters to entirely original works. Before 2014, the availability of physical copies of these games were limited due to official guidelines regarding commercialization. This changed in 2014 when Sony and Mediascape launched the "Play, Doujin!" initiative to allow fan-made Touhou Project games to be ported to other platforms.

Several fan-made anime have also been produced, including Fantasy Kaleidoscope ~ The Memories of Phantasm by Manpuku Jinja, A Summer Day's Dream by Maikaze, and Hifuu Club Activity Record ~ The Sealed Esoteric History by Kyoto Fantasy Troupe. Albeit generally created by amateur studios, the projects have sometimes included appearances by professional voice actors such as Rie Tanaka. Commercial anime studio Ufotable produced Anime Tenchou x Touhou Project for the 10th anniversary of Japanese retailer Animate.

Touhou Project music has been a particular inspiration for derivative works, and arrangement CDs are regularly sold at Comiket and other conventions. The music circle IOSYS has produced popular Flash music videos based on the series, including "Marisa Stole the Precious Thing", which have been widely referenced online and are often shared on otaku internet forums and Niconico. In addition, the song "Bad Apple!!" has become known for attempts on various platforms to imitate a shadow play music video accompanying a cover of the song.

Internet memes

Wikipe-tan drawn in the yukkuri style
A man holding a Patchouli Fumo doll

Several Internet memes have originated from Touhou Project, including Yukkuris and FumoFumo plush toys. Yukkuris, which are disembodied, deformed heads of Touhou Project characters, originated in 2007 from Shift JIS art depicting protagonists Reimu and Marisa and the phrase "Yukkuri shite itte ne!!!" It become a popular meme in Japan, winning 2008's "Net Slang of the Year". FumoFumo is a line of plush dolls of Touhou Project characters, designed by Japanese illustrator Neji and manufactured by Japanese merchandise company Gift. The plushes have emotionless faces, scornful eyes, and are about two heads tall. After becoming popular, the dolls have caused panic buying at times.

Legacy

Touhou Project has inspired other video game developers. Toby Fox, the creator of Undertale and Deltarune, mentioned that the series could be described as the "sole reason" that his two games have their respective battle systems. He also cited Touhou Project's soundtrack as one of his musical influences. Yoshiro Kimura, developer of the side-scrolling shooter Black Bird, said that Touhou Project inspired several of his game's mechanics, particularly the hit detection system for the player's sprite. In addition, various games based on Touhou Project have been commercially released.

Touhou Project's association with the manga and anime fandom has also inspired artists. Nio Nakatani, author of Bloom into You, was initially known for Touhou Project doujinshi; she mentioned that the game's almost entirely female cast contributed to her gaining a reputation as an author of yuri manga. Yoshitaka Ushiki [ja], author of Dream Eater Merry, similarly began his career drawing doujin manga for Touhou Project. Chomoran [ja], a manga artist who illustrated an adaptation of Zaregoto among other series, mentioned that Touhou Project's worldbuilding inspired his decision to began drawing manga.

Notes

Language notes

  1. ↑ Sometimes written as 東方プロジェクト (Hepburn: Tōhō Purojekuto)
  2. ↑ 幻想郷, Gensōkyō; lit. 'Land of Illusions' or 'Land of Fantasy'
  3. ↑ 博麗霊夢, Hakurei Reimu
  4. ↑ 霧雨魔理沙, Kirisame Marisa
  5. ↑ 秘封倶楽部, Hifū Kurabu; lit. 'Secret Sealing Club'
  6. ↑ 幺樂団の歴史, Yōgakudan no Rekishi; lit. 'History of Yougakudan'
  7. ↑ 東方オンリー
  8. ↑ 幻想万華鏡
  9. ↑ 夢想夏郷
  10. ↑ Chinese: 秘封活动记录
  11. ↑ アニメ店長 x 東方Project
  12. ↑ ゆっくりしていってね!!!; often translated as "You should be taking it easy!!!"
  13. ↑ ふもふも

General notes

  1. 1 2 3 Seven of the spin-offs are fighting games, which were created in collaboration with doujin developer Twilight Frontier.
  2. ↑ Highly Responsive to Prayers only
  3. 1 2 3 New Classic: Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
  4. ↑ Urban Legend in Limbo, Antinomy of Common Flowers
  5. ↑ Antinomy of Common Flowers, Sunken Fossil World, New Classic: Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
  6. ↑ Highly Responsive to Prayers and Story of Eastern Wonderland
  7. ↑ With the exception of the first installment in the series, Highly Responsive to Prayers, an Arkanoid-style block breaker game.
  8. ↑ The exceptions to this are Story of Eastern Wonderland, which has only five stages, and Lotus Land Story and Embodiment of Scarlet Devil, both of which lock the player out of the sixth stage on easy difficulty.
  9. ↑ Many of the songs had been made remixing the original games' music.

References

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