youkai_lunisolar_calendar
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Youkai Lunisolar Calendar
The Youkai Lunisolar Calendar (
It was first hinted at during the events of Touhou Kaeizuka, including the Touhou Shikoubana prequel, then Chapter 24 of Touhou Kourindou had revisited it. Much of this is explained by Yukari in Touhou Shikoubana and Rinnosuke in Touhou Kourindou.
Explanation
“This year is the year of the Sun, Spring, and Earth. It only comes every sixty years.”
– Yukari Yakumo
The calendar follows a sexagenary cycle describing Gensōkyō's natural phenomena, and every year has three attributes which represent a component of nature: 'three fairies' (三精, sansei),2) 'four seasons' (四季, shiki),3) and 'five elements' (五行, gogyo). For example, the incident in Touhou Kaeizuka is explained by its year having the attributes of sun, spring, and earth, which Yukari describes as a 'rebirth' year.
Three fairies
- Sun (お日様, ohisama)
Charming with arrogance, as it outshines the others. - Moon (お月様, otsukisama)
Cooperative yet indecisive, as it waxes and wanes. - Stars (お星様, ohoshisama)
Diverse and uncooperative, as it changes and moves.
Four seasons
- Spring (春, haru)
Birth or creation. - Summer (夏, natsu)
Growth or development. - Autumn (秋, aki)
Outcome4) and decay. - Winter (冬, fuyu)
Death.
Five elements
- Fire (火, hi)
Formless passion. - Water (水, sui)
Returns all to nothing. - Wood (木, moku)
Strong, yet tender. - Metal (金, kin)
Cold and silent. - Earth (土, do)
Where everything must return to be reborn or regenerate.
Thirteen months
According to the Youkai Mountain's newspapers, the calendar utilizes the traditional month names. We'd also learn that a month is 29–30 days long, and a 13th 'intercalary month' (閏月) would be added every three years whenever the months felt out of sync. However, the intercalary month takes the previous month's name, so an added month after March would be 'Intercalary March' (閏三月) for example.5)
Newspaper timeline
Since the Youkai Mountain still uses the Youkai Lunisolar Calendar, the print works tell us that newspapers like Bunbunmaru Shinbun (BBS) and Kakashi Nenpo (KKN) timestamp their newspapers as such. This section aims to order the newspaper articles into a chronological order, not order the world's history. Sadly, it doesn't seem to be possible to extrapolate said 'intercalary month' from the articles we have.
Year conversion chart
“In other words, the attribute of each year changes from 'sun, moon, stars, sun, moon…', 'spring, summer, fall, winter…', and 'fire, water, wood…' in that order.”
– Yukari Yakumo
Based on the explanations given, we can find their corresponding calendar year and its attributes, given the attribute pattern and the idea that the 'Year of the Sun, Spring, and Earth' is 2005. The following chart only covered 1825 to 2184, because Yukari had to throw around '180 years ago' (百八十年前), and I don't believe that anybody reading this would be alive after 2184.
| Attributes | Corresponding year | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairy | Season | Element | 0th cycle | 1st cycle | 2nd cycle | 3rd cycle | 4th cycle | 5th cycle |
| Sun | Spring | Earth | -60 (1825) | 0 (1885) | 60 (1945) | 120 (2005) | 180 (2065) | 240 (2125) |
| Moon | Summer | Fire | -59 (1826) | 1 (1886) | 61 (1946) | 121 (2006) | 181 (2066) | 241 (2126) |
| Stars | Autumn | Water | -58 (1827) | 2 (1887) | 62 (1947) | 122 (2007) | 182 (2067) | 242 (2127) |
| Sun | Winter | Wood | -57 (1828) | 3 (1888) | 63 (1948) | 123 (2008) | 183 (2068) | 243 (2128) |
| Moon | Spring | Metal | -56 (1829) | 4 (1889) | 64 (1949) | 124 (2009) | 184 (2069) | 244 (2129) |
| Stars | Summer | Earth | -55 (1830) | 5 (1890) | 65 (1950) | 125 (2010) | 185 (2070) | 245 (2130) |
| Sun | Autumn | Fire | -54 (1831) | 6 (1891) | 66 (1951) | 126 (2011) | 186 (2071) | 246 (2131) |
| Moon | Winter | Water | -53 (1832) | 7 (1892) | 67 (1952) | 127 (2012) | 187 (2072) | 247 (2132) |
| Stars | Spring | Wood | -52 (1833) | 8 (1893) | 68 (1953) | 128 (2013) | 188 (2073) | 248 (2133) |
| Sun | Summer | Metal | -51 (1834) | 9 (1894) | 69 (1954) | 129 (2014) | 189 (2074) | 249 (2134) |
| Moon | Autumn | Earth | -50 (1835) | 10 (1895) | 70 (1955) | 130 (2015) | 190 (2075) | 250 (2135) |
| Stars | Winter | Fire | -49 (1836) | 11 (1896) | 71 (1956) | 131 (2016) | 191 (2076) | 251 (2136) |
| Sun | Spring | Water | -48 (1837) | 12 (1897) | 72 (1957) | 132 (2017) | 192 (2077) | 252 (2137) |
| Moon | Summer | Wood | -47 (1838) | 13 (1898) | 73 (1958) | 133 (2018) | 193 (2078) | 253 (2138) |
| Stars | Autumn | Metal | -46 (1839) | 14 (1899) | 74 (1959) | 134 (2019) | 194 (2079) | 254 (2139) |
| Sun | Winter | Earth | -45 (1840) | 15 (1900) | 75 (1960) | 135 (2020) | 195 (2080) | 255 (2140) |
| Moon | Spring | Fire | -44 (1841) | 16 (1901) | 76 (1961) | 136 (2021) | 196 (2081) | 256 (2141) |
| Stars | Summer | Water | -43 (1842) | 17 (1902) | 77 (1962) | 137 (2022) | 197 (2082) | 257 (2142) |
| Sun | Autumn | Wood | -42 (1843) | 18 (1903) | 78 (1963) | 138 (2023) | 198 (2083) | 258 (2143) |
| Moon | Winter | Metal | -41 (1844) | 19 (1904) | 79 (1964) | 139 (2024) | 199 (2084) | 259 (2144) |
| Stars | Spring | Earth | -40 (1845) | 20 (1905) | 80 (1965) | 140 (2025) | 200 (2085) | 260 (2145) |
| Sun | Summer | Fire | -39 (1846) | 21 (1906) | 81 (1966) | 141 (2026) | 201 (2086) | 261 (2146) |
| Moon | Autumn | Water | -38 (1847) | 22 (1907) | 82 (1967) | 142 (2027) | 202 (2087) | 262 (2147) |
| Stars | Winter | Wood | -37 (1848) | 23 (1908) | 83 (1968) | 143 (2028) | 203 (2088) | 263 (2148) |
| Sun | Spring | Metal | -36 (1849) | 24 (1909) | 84 (1969) | 144 (2029) | 204 (2089) | 264 (2149) |
| Moon | Summer | Earth | -35 (1850) | 25 (1910) | 85 (1970) | 145 (2030) | 205 (2090) | 265 (2150) |
| Stars | Autumn | Fire | -34 (1851) | 26 (1911) | 86 (1971) | 146 (2031) | 206 (2091) | 266 (2151) |
| Sun | Winter | Water | -33 (1852) | 27 (1912) | 87 (1972) | 147 (2032) | 207 (2092) | 267 (2152) |
| Moon | Spring | Wood | -32 (1853) | 28 (1913) | 88 (1973) | 148 (2033) | 208 (2093) | 268 (2153) |
| Stars | Summer | Metal | -31 (1854) | 29 (1914) | 89 (1974) | 149 (2034) | 209 (2094) | 269 (2154) |
| Sun | Autumn | Earth | -30 (1855) | 30 (1915) | 90 (1975) | 150 (2035) | 210 (2095) | 270 (2155) |
| Moon | Winter | Fire | -29 (1856) | 31 (1916) | 91 (1976) | 151 (2036) | 211 (2096) | 271 (2156) |
| Stars | Spring | Water | -28 (1857) | 32 (1917) | 92 (1977) | 152 (2037) | 212 (2097) | 272 (2157) |
| Sun | Summer | Wood | -27 (1858) | 33 (1918) | 93 (1978) | 153 (2038) | 213 (2098) | 273 (2158) |
| Moon | Autumn | Metal | -26 (1859) | 34 (1919) | 94 (1979) | 154 (2039) | 214 (2099) | 274 (2159) |
| Stars | Winter | Earth | -25 (1860) | 35 (1920) | 95 (1980) | 155 (2040) | 215 (2100) | 275 (2160) |
| Sun | Spring | Fire | -24 (1861) | 36 (1921) | 96 (1981) | 156 (2041) | 216 (2101) | 276 (2161) |
| Moon | Summer | Water | -23 (1862) | 37 (1922) | 97 (1982) | 157 (2042) | 217 (2102) | 277 (2162) |
| Stars | Autumn | Wood | -22 (1863) | 38 (1923) | 98 (1983) | 158 (2043) | 218 (2103) | 278 (2163) |
| Sun | Winter | Metal | -21 (1864) | 39 (1924) | 99 (1984) | 159 (2044) | 219 (2104) | 279 (2164) |
| Moon | Spring | Earth | -20 (1865) | 40 (1925) | 100 (1985) | 160 (2045) | 220 (2105) | 280 (2165) |
| Stars | Summer | Fire | -19 (1866) | 41 (1926) | 101 (1986) | 161 (2046) | 221 (2106) | 281 (2166) |
| Sun | Autumn | Water | -18 (1867) | 42 (1927) | 102 (1987) | 162 (2047) | 222 (2107) | 282 (2167) |
| Moon | Winter | Wood | -17 (1868) | 43 (1928) | 103 (1988) | 163 (2048) | 223 (2108) | 283 (2168) |
| Stars | Spring | Metal | -16 (1869) | 44 (1929) | 104 (1989) | 164 (2049) | 224 (2109) | 284 (2169) |
| Sun | Summer | Earth | -15 (1870) | 45 (1930) | 105 (1990) | 165 (2050) | 225 (2110) | 285 (2170) |
| Moon | Autumn | Fire | -14 (1871) | 46 (1931) | 106 (1991) | 166 (2051) | 226 (2111) | 286 (2171) |
| Stars | Winter | Water | -13 (1872) | 47 (1932) | 107 (1992) | 167 (2052) | 227 (2112) | 287 (2172) |
| Sun | Spring | Wood | -12 (1873) | 48 (1933) | 108 (1993) | 168 (2053) | 228 (2113) | 288 (2173) |
| Moon | Summer | Metal | -11 (1874) | 49 (1934) | 109 (1994) | 169 (2054) | 229 (2114) | 289 (2174) |
| Stars | Autumn | Earth | -10 (1875) | 50 (1935) | 110 (1995) | 170 (2055) | 230 (2115) | 290 (2175) |
| Sun | Winter | Fire | -9 (1876) | 51 (1936) | 111 (1996) | 171 (2056) | 231 (2116) | 291 (2176) |
| Moon | Spring | Water | -8 (1877) | 52 (1937) | 112 (1997) | 172 (2057) | 232 (2117) | 292 (2177) |
| Stars | Summer | Wood | -7 (1878) | 53 (1938) | 113 (1998) | 173 (2058) | 233 (2118) | 293 (2178) |
| Sun | Autumn | Metal | -6 (1879) | 54 (1939) | 114 (1999) | 174 (2059) | 234 (2119) | 294 (2179) |
| Moon | Winter | Earth | -5 (1880) | 55 (1940) | 115 (2000) | 175 (2060) | 235 (2120) | 295 (2180) |
| Stars | Spring | Fire | -4 (1881) | 56 (1941) | 116 (2001) | 176 (2061) | 236 (2121) | 296 (2181) |
| Sun | Summer | Water | -3 (1882) | 57 (1942) | 117 (2002) | 177 (2062) | 237 (2122) | 297 (2182) |
| Moon | Autumn | Wood | -2 (1883) | 58 (1943) | 118 (2003) | 178 (2063) | 238 (2123) | 298 (2183) |
| Stars | Winter | Metal | -1 (1884) | 59 (1944) | 119 (2004) | 179 (2064) | 239 (2124) | 299 (2184) |
Notes
- For those curious, ZUN would turn 78 in 2055 and 88 in 2065, assuming he even lives that long.
- I'd honestly propose renaming this calendar's years along the lines of 'Youkai 140' (2025), but I feel like that would be too radical of an idea.
External links
- Gensokyo Chronology on Touhou Wiki [JA]
- Gensokyo Timeline on Touhou Wiki [EN]
1)
Technically speaking, 'taiin' (太陰) is 'lunar' and 'taiin taiyou' (太陰太陽) is 'lunisolar', but you also have the added context that the terms were used interchangeably for the Chinese calendar and its derivatives.
2)
The kanji, 'sei' (精), means 'fairy', 'spirit', or 'energy' in this context. Furthermore, this exact kanji is literally in the name of the Touhou Sangetsusei series, so I don't know how the translators came up with 'light'.
3)
The kanji, 'ki' (季), means 'season'. However, it's also the archaic word for 'year' if you look into words like 'ikki' (一季) or 'hanki' (半季), before 'year' eventually became 'nen' (年). The translators kinda screwed it up by not considering how 'old' everything is, so now the 'season' (year) has a 'season' (attribute).
4)
The exact term is 'seika' (成果), which means 'achievements', 'accomplishments', 'results', or 'outcome'. The translation uses 'maturity', which is a fair analogy as autumn is technically considered harvest season.
5)
Technically speaking, an 'Intercalary March' (閏三月) would be 'Intercalary Yayoi' (閏弥生), but you have to consider the context that Rinnosuke was explaining this entirely new concept to Reimu and Marisa.
youkai_lunisolar_calendar.txt · Last modified: by namelessrumia