This article uses material from the “Kanako Yasaka” article on the Touhou Wiki at FANDOM is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License.
Kanako Yasaka is a character from the Touhou Project games.
The current god in charge of the Moriya Shrine, with dominion over wind and rain and an affection for snakes. The shrine was not originally hers, since she won it from Suwako after they fought each other in the Great Suwa War, though after complications arose they entered into a sort of dual-owner partnership. The two still have a reasonably good friendship despite their past rivalry and the occasional arguments. She moved the shrine to Gensokyo because she could not gather enough faith from humans in the Outside World, and decided to gather faith from youkai as well. Despite clashing with the Hakurei Shrine she has obtained a significant amount of faith from the tengu and kappa, though nowhere near what she once possessed, and so she seeks ways to expand the numbers of her worshippers.
In the XP4 fics, Kanako is a member of the Unlikely Heroes and ally to the Heroes Coalitions.
Appearance
Kanako has an elaborate red shirt with long white sleeves and a round mirror over the center of her chest. She wears a long black skirt with a red flower print hem. Has poofy intense blue hair and dark red eyes. Behind her is a large twisting rope circle shimenawa with shide.
Personality
Kanako is an ambitious woman who treats religion like a business, using whatever means bring her the most "profit" - that profit being instead faith. She has a natural presence that can seem intimidating or suspicious at times, but also reliable. Unusually for a god she has little respect for tradition - she demands little formality in her worship, and encourages scientific progress. It is somewhat strange for a deity to be knowledgeable and interested about science.
She has no hostility towards humans, though as is the case with all deities, she may curse them if they are disrespectful. She also seems to be rather short-tempered, but she is vulnerable to gifts.
Abilities
- Ability to Create Heavenliness
Kanako's ability specifically refers to the element of Qian, the "sky" of Bagua in Taoist philosophy. Qian is associated with creation, leadership, overtness, reliability, and acting first rather than reacting to others. Suwako Moriya's ability to create Kun (earth), refers to the opposite element.
She is at least called "wind god", so it may be a power to manipulate wind, rain, and weather. For Kanako to be a god of agriculture, to manipulate the wind and rain and make the soil plentiful would definitely be the quickest and easiest way to quickly and easily gather faith.
In Symposium of Post-mysticism, it's stated that this ability of hers is still very much a mystery. Concerning what kind of power this is, since there is nothing that seems like a portrayal of this, it is not definite, but it is probably a power unimaginable to humans. After all, perhaps wind god→climate→air=sky. She has been seen altering the terrain with Suwako's help, opening holes to the underground, and even creating large structures. She helped build the Myouren Temple, as well.
Trivia
- The silhouette of Kanako occupies the front of Mountain of Faith's jewel case.
- It is revealed in chapter 19 of Silent Sinner in Blue that the Lunarians created and use shimenawa rope to seal away those that are a threat to them. Kanako's shimenawa at her back is confirmed to be the actual shimenawa in her Mountain of Faith profile. In addition, in Suwako's profile, it is stated that Kanako was one of several gods fighting to unify Japan, and it was implied in Silent Sinner in Blue that it was the Lunarians who were behind those wars (assuming taking away Lord Daikoku's lands referred to the actual time that happened in Shinto mythology by Amaterasu's family, whom are implied to be the Lunar Capital's founders). The Lunarians even used shimenawa to seal another god at the Moriya shrine. However, it is unknown if Kanako was connected to, in league with, or aware of any of this.
- The shrine pictured in the background image of Kanako's spell cards is The Autumn Court of the Lower Shrine (Shimosha), one of the four shrines that make up the Suwa Grand Shrine.
- Oddly, Kanako's sprite changes colors in rainbow order during the time between when her theme begins and when she starts to battle. It also happens to Yumeko in the PC-98era.
Gallery
