the Mystique Breathes
the Mystique Breathes
Official Website of Toyoho | Michinoku Samuto
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Info
遠野妖怪保護区ハブ
- Original: https://scp-jp.wikidot.com/toyoho-hub
- Authors: ©︎ Tōno Yōkai Sanctuary Tourism Association:
- Translator:
Salamander724
Among the mountain villages in our country, being much deeper than Tōno, there also must be countless legends of mountain deities and mountain men.
―― Kunio Yanagita, Tōno Monogatari, Preface
……Meanwhile, at the deeper part of Tōno also, there were mysterious things.
よーぐおでんすたなす 妖の住処とよほさWe give you welcome1 to the sanctuary of the eeries
- Introduction
- Tourist Map
- People of Toyoho
- Let's Learn Our History
- Helpful Jargon
- Further Readings
- Notification to Municipal Office Employees
- Why don't you leave a memory of your trip? (Writing Guide)
- Translator's Notes
About Tōno Yōkai Sanctuary
The Kitakami Mountains surround Tōno City, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. After being lost deep and deep into the mountains, you will find Tōno Yōkai Sanctuary (遠野妖怪保護区, Tōno yōkai hogoku,2 abbr. Toyoho)3. Many xenomorphic entities, commonly called yōkai (妖怪),4 live and reproduce in this sanctuary. Additionally, a few humans live among them, as well as hanyō (半妖5), the biracial children between yōkai and humans. The otherworld where the Sanctuary is located, was originally called Samuto Locality (寒戸郷, samuto-gō),6 and was maintained as a community by mountain deities and indigenous dwellers since primeval times. Samuto is overflowing with sublime nature such as a sacred mountain where the deities dwell, rough and stormy rocky alp, and endless streams and pools, thus you can enjoy various scenery throughout the four seasons. At the same time, the settlements are lined with traditional Japanese buildings, and filled with the unique culture of the yōkai.
The incorporation of the Samuto Locality as a modern municipality dates back to the end of the Pacific War. Since the Meiji era, the crackdown on the abnormal by normalcy agencies intensified, and various yōkai groups were either forcefully dissipated, or went into hiding. In the meantime, there were some yōkai who were promised a certain level of improved conditions by cooperating with the military to become part of the “Yōkai Battalion”. However, as the Japanese Empire started to lose the war, they foresaw the loss of patronage and rushed to devise their own means for survival. In early August 1945, the soldiers of the Yōkai Battalion mutinied and deserted en masse towards Samuto Locality. This desertion incident was later called “the Nocturnal Parade of Pandemonium”. They then declared the founding of the "Tōno Yōkai Independency (遠野妖怪独立区, Tōno yōkai dokuritsugu)", and solidified the settlement's defenses.
After the end of the war, the Independency changed its name to the Sanctuary. It also introduced administrative functions, establishing the Municipal Office (区役所, kuyakusho) and traffic networks. Wary of external invasion, the Sanctuary had maintained an isolationist foreign policy for a long time. However, being cut off from the outer world caused various problems, both major and minor, thus the Sanctuary could not help changing its policy gradually. In 1989, the beginning of a new era in the outer world generated momentum for the opening of the Sanctuary, accepting the new generation of anomalies as its settlers and promoting tourism projects for the citizens of paranormal communities. Currently, the Yōkai Sanctuary is trying a variety of attracting promotions, with the slogan: “town of simple living with eeriness and flavor of the fading times”.
Access to the Sanctuary
※ Transl.Note: What are “chīsai-ojisan (小さいおじさん)”
and “tābo bāchan (ターボばあちゃん)”?
The map of the entire Samuto Locality
Samuto (寒戸 -さむと-)
Tipsy Alley at the sunset. The fog of alcohol begins to gather.
Samuto is an area where humans, hanyō, and urban yōkai live. It is a long-standing settlement that flourished before “the Nocturnal Parade”, and is largely divided into Upper Samuto and Lower Samuto. Upper Samuto is a major seat of the Sanctuary, a place where the administrative agencies including the municipal office, many shopping bazaars and recreational facilities are located. By contrast, Lower Samuto is where simple arable lands and L-shaped thatched houses remain, attracting tourists seeking the traditional Japanese scenery.
Upper Samuto (上寒戸)
- Human Town (人間町, ningen-machi)
An area surrounded by moates and stone ramparts, evoking an atmosphere like a feudal town under castle (城下町, jōka-machi). According to legend, a yōkai carpenter had visited the outer world and saw the castle and town belonging to the Clan Nambu of Tōno (遠野南部氏), then constructed this town to imitate them in Samuto. A small castle was even erected to mimic Nabekura Castle (鍋倉城). However, as if they were uncomfortable for ordinary yōkai to live in, the ramparts are now turning into the shelter suitable only for the tsukumogami.
- Tipsy Alley (微酔い横丁, bisuii yokochō)
The biggest pleasure district in the Sanctuary, developed by the returnees from the Drunkness Street. The Alley is repeatedly eroded by the Street, which then retreats to restore the Alley. Because of this, the Alley is dusky in the middle of the day and the powder snow flutters at night, similar to the Street. If you have lost something here, you might as well give up your search. You'll forget that you have lost it anyway, so it will never be a problem.
Lower Samuto (下寒戸)
- Samuto Substation of Tōno Police Station, Iwate Prefectural Police (岩手県警遠野警察署 寒戸駐在所)
Based on a contract with the Japanese government, one police officer is stationed here. Although it is not technically a tourist attraction, the “human constable watching the yōkai” is hard to find elsewhere, making it a hidden attraction for tourists seeking the sentimental or picturesque.
- Fortunate Residence (福屋敷, fuku yashiki)
This is where o-zashiki-sama (御座敷様), the spirits of lucky fortunes dwell. Blessings come to the owner of the house where they live, but when they leave the house, the owner will suffer a terrible misfortune. The villagers, who had suffered damage, raised funds at their own expense to build an empty house only for them, thus successfully cuting off the residential mobility of misfortune. Now this Residence is loved as a place to play with spirits.
- Mayohiga Hall (マヨヒガ関)
An L-shaped thatched house with a beautiful red-and-white flower garden and a magnificent gate. Serving as a gatehouse, someone who tries to enter the Sanctuary from the Mayohiga of the outer world temporarily stays here. The hospitality at the gatehouse varies depending on the economic situation of the entering person. Luxurious service is provided to the poor, and rubbishy service to the rich.
New Samuto (新寒戸 -にいさむと-)
Landmark of New Samuto: Co-op Housing Sugisawa (コーポ杉沢), an advanced dwelling with bathtub and toilet.
New Samuto is an area recently colonized, a remote part of the northwest. It became a residence district for the “new generation of anomalies”, also known as the “urban legends”, who migrated into Tōno Sanctuary. The old inhabitants gave New Samuto a nickname “Nyū-yōku (紐育) of Samuto Locality”, because of the modern buildings made of concrete. Unlike the traditional yōkai that have exclusively lived in the Sanctuary for a long time, the new generation doesn't have much good feelings for outer humans. Thus, when you visit, you may need to be careful about cold response, sudden night terror, or minor curses. Meanwhile, New Samuto has a “Contemporary Studies Tutoring Center (現学伝習所, gengaku-denshūsho)” to learn the culture and technology of the outer world, making the area the core of the Sanctuary's modernization project.
Mount Kakura (鹿倉山 -かくらやま-)
Mount Kakura as seen from the felsenmeer.
A conical stratovolcano, also called “Samuto's Fuji”. It is a sacred mountain where the Mountain Goddess (山神様, yama-gami-sama) has been enshrined, and the yama-onna (山女7) and yama-uba (山姥8) live and act as the handmaiden of the goddess. The Mountain Goddess of Samuto is a rare deity in that she is worshipped by both humans and yōkai. Her kushi-mitama (奇魂) is the source of the spirit power that supports the spacetime of Samuto Locality. According to legend, the spirit of the old camellia tree apotheosized into a goddess after many years. This legend promptes folklorists to ask: “Does the Mountain Goddess also originate from some kind of yōkai?”
- Mount Kakura Shrine (鹿倉山神社, kakura yama jinja)
A shrine dedicated to the Mountain Goddess. There is a colossal camellia tree which the Goddess incarnating into. Every spring, a festival with a possessive ritual is held here so you can witness the mystical spectacle of the tree glowing and the Goddness incarnates.
- Samuto Locality Yōkai Conservation Center (寒戸郷妖怪保護センター)
Large-scale facility managing the yōkai living in deserted places such as mountains and forests. Even though they may seem like monsters incapable of speech, most of them have decent personality and same sentience as ordinary people. Please do not behave impolitely during your visit.
- Collecting Agency Archive Museum (蒐集院資料館, shūshūin shiryōkan)
An archive that stores the Collecting Agency-related artifacts and the materials on the yōkai. After the war, most of the assets of the Collecting Agency were acquired by the Foundation, thus it is not easy to trace the Agency's history. Being the best facility to study the history of the Collecting Agency among the Japanese paranormal communities, the archive is operated by former members of the Agency, or their descendants. Madam Mayor also serves as the director of the archive museum, inheriting the title of the “Studier (研儀官, kengikan)” to the modern day.
Ongatake Alp (隠ヶ嶽 -おんがたけ-)
This alp is also known as a zone of frequent fox-rain.
An alpine region where rugged rock-walls rise off the foot of Mount Kakura. There are many dangerous places and the weather changes suddenly; such environment cause many climbers in distress. However, there are some people seeking this environment, and it is used as a temporary dwelling by yōkai criminals, bandits, or mountain hermits (仙人, sennin). Ongatake was also called “Onu-ga-take” in the past, and its pronunciation suggests that it has something to do with a certain yōkai race, Oni (鬼).
- Kaminari-okoshi Power Plant (雷おこし発電所)
A spiritual power plant built as part of a modernization project. Since the generation output depends on the mood of the thunder deities (雷様, kaminari-sama), the plant worker have to climb the alp every day to comfort them.
Dendera Field (デンデラ野)9
An untapped field stretching west of Ongatake. Part of it is the plot belong to Kisaragi Carpentry, which is including their training facilities and material warehouses. Tourists are not encouraged to visit.
Īhatōv Wards (イーハトーヴ合区)
Our future is bright but hard
Every time it meet the hardship, the 4th art widens and deepens
Pain is a jouissance of the poet
Eternal incompletion: that is the completion
―― Kenji Miyazawa, Outline of a Peasant Artnōmin-gējutsu-gairon-kōyō, Conclusion
A picture of a meadow one day. You can never see the same view twice.
These wards are based on the dreamlands of the late Kenji Miyazawa. There is a magnificent mountainous area in the north, large paddy fields and pasturages in the south, and a small town called Morīo City (モリーオ市) in the center. Originally, Īhatōv and Samuto had been the separate otherworlds, but when Mr. Miyazawa died in 1933, the spacetime of Īhatōv collapsed, and was overlapped with Samuto Locality to be fused with the land of Samuto. The significant feature of these wards is the frequent occurrence of an anomaly called “kaikou (カイコウ)”10. which eventually led to a sudden change of the surrounding landscape. Kaikou also applies to living things, but visitors can behave relatively safely, because they are protected to a certain extent as being “dokusha-san (ドクシャサン)”11.
- Municipal Office Branch to Īhatōv (区役所イーハトーヴ分所)
A branch office of the Sanctuary municipal office, built on a border between Mount Kakura and Īhatōv, where has relatively low kaikou frequency. A stage station town (宿場町, shukuba-machi) is adjacent, functioning as an outpost to explore Īhatōv.
- Galactic Railroad Station (銀河ステーション, ginga sutēshon)
A station of the Neo-Galactic Railroad in Morīo City. The magnificent figure of the locomotive jumping into the night sky is truly overwhelming. Various passengers from the outer world, or outer spaces, or dreams stay, making the station's atmosphere very mysterious and international.
- Ambrose Wildcat House (アンブローズ・山猫軒, anburōzu yama-neko-ken)
A western restaurant affiliated with Ambrose, a restaurant chain prominent in the outer world. All sorts of delicacies made of various metaphysical ingredients will take you to a great story experience.
Kappa Pool (カッパ淵)
The shadows of something towering on the other side of the pool. No one has ever reached them, and local people consider them the prank by Shin (蜃), a mirage-making clams.
Dwelling for aquatic yōkai including Kappa. Connected to the Kappa Pool in Tōno City of the outer world, but access is only available through certain means. Kappa Pool on the Samuto side is so wide that it can be described as a ”Sea of Water (水海, Mizu-umi)”,12 and it surrounds the land of the Sanctuary. Along the coastal waters, there are apotropaic wards (結界, kekkai) for protecting local spacetime, and battery sites arranged since the “Nocturnal Parade” to prepare for the external invasion. Most of the dwellers live in coastal areas, but some, like Ōnanushi (大名主13), live under the water of the pool.
- Anti-air Bomboo Grove (竹槍防空林, takeyari-bōkūrin)
A grove surrounding the coast, made by planting varietally improved anti-air bomboo, looted during combat with the IJAMEA. By the spriitual power of Mount Kakura, the explosive power has been mightily strengthened, and the grove shot down several invaders that tried to trespass the apotropaic wards of the Sanctuary. The aerial battle between the bomboo grove and the familiars (式神, shiki-gami) or the automata (絡繰り, karakuri) irregularly invading the airspace is called the “Fireworks over the Water of the Kappa Pool”, adding excitement to the night sky of Samuto.
Let us introduce those who are active in the Sanctuary, those who have migrated into it, and those who have somehow related with it.
Ms. Yabu Isanagi, Madam Mayor (日奉薮 / 区長さん, kuchō-san)14
The first and current mayor of Tōno Yōkai Sanctuary. The pontiffess (宮司, gūji) and priestess (巫女, miko) of Mount Kakura Shrine. Human. Born to the collateral line of Clan Isanagi, she moved into Samuto Locality in pursuit of a quiet life and a mode of being as a deity researcher. Since her moving-in, she has worked as a priestess serving the Mountain Goddess and made exertions to maintain local spacetime. When the Sanctuary was founded, she was inducted into the mayor at people's insistence. Since then, she has been actively engaged in the administration at the municipal office. Her specialty is facial change (変顔, hen-gao). You will never recongize her, unless she is in her office room. Her daily routine is to inspect the Sanctuary incognito, using this specialty.
Mr. Stationmaster (駅長さん, ekichō-san)
A stationmaster of Galactic Railroad Station. Calico Nekomata (猫又). He had ran a Cat Information Center adjacent to the station. Being a cat in-the-know, well-versed in the Īhatōv Wards' geography, he is active as a local advisor. He is gluttonous, so you can often see him searching for delicacies here and there.
Old Lady of Samuto (寒戸の婆様, samuto-no bā-sama)
A substantial landowner of the whole Samuto Locality. As a village head (名主, nanushi), she is often concerned in arbitrations between dwellers. Wherever the Old Lady is, the strong wind blows, putting pressure on people around her. While this wind also shows her humorous side, such as complaining about her hair being scattered.
Ms. Byakko (白狐さん, byakko-san15)
A demon fox, who only arrived in 2020. Originally being a human, but turned into a nine-tailed white vixen by the result of human experiment by the IJAMEA. Currently, she lives in a Yōkai Conservation Center on Mount Kakura, and is undergoing rehabilitation with the support of the Serpent's Hand members and the IJAMEA veterans.
Ms. Reika Komori (籠守令佳さん)
Human, assuming an important role in the Civil Guards. Being in charge of management of the anti-air grove around Kappa Pond coast, she is best at bamboo among the Sanctuary. The bamboo firecrackers launched during the events are also her works.
Ms. Suzu Matsuzawa (松澤鈴さん)
She is Ms. Byakko's guardian and primary caregiver. Being a ninyō (人妖), once human then acquired yōkai features, she has upper body of human and lower half of snake. She belongs to the Civil Guards and the Veterans' Association (退役妖人会, taieki-yōnin-kai). Usually, she works as a charcoal burner at anti-air grove, making surplus bamboo into bamboo charcoal to supply them to the neighborhood. She had been a member of the Yōkai Battalion. Before that, she is said to have been a priestess of flame deity in a distant land.
Ms. Mary (メリーさん, merī-san)
A new generation anomaly who have moved to Samuto from Tōkyō. Being erudite on ‘electrical wave’, she has been appointed as an Extraordinary Advisor for IT Promotion at the request of the municipal office. She is still striving to digitize Samuto today. She is one of the few migrants who have encountered a contemporary Foundation employee, and her terrifying experience makes the listener's heart tremble.
Mr. S. Y. (S・Yさん) (alias)
Human policeman from the outer world. We cannot give you any details due to the contract, but he must be a very good guy.
Honorary Citizens of the Sanctuary
Mr. Kizen Sasaki (佐々木喜善さん)
Folklorist and data collector. From Tsuchibuchi (土淵), Tōno City. Fascinated by Samuto Locality, he successfully cultivated friendship with local yōkai. By publishing a number of works on yōkai, he contributed greatly to the knowlege about yōkai in the outer world.
Mr. Kunio Yanagita (柳田國男さん)
Folklorist and high-ranking bureaucrat. The general agent of Kantō employees of the Collecting Agency. He conducted extensive research in Samuto Locality, and after the war, he persistently negotiated with the normalcy agencies to bring about the survival of Samuto Locality. After that, he served as the privy counsellor at the Japanese government, and devoted himself to advocating for domestic paranormal organizations.
Mr. Kenji Miyazawa (宮沢賢治さん)
He was a poet, children's storyteller, and from Hanamaki City, west of Tōno City. He created Īhatōv, an utopia in his heart, by engaging in creative activities rooted in Buddhism and peasant culture. In later years, he made some exchange with Mr. Sasaki, which is believed to be the reason Īhatōv appeared in Samuto Locality.
A Brief History until the Sanctuary was Founded, pieced together by parafolklorist Nanigashi Sato (佐藤某氏)16
A traditional crest of Samuto: “one big eyeball (一つ大目玉, hitotsu-ōmetama)”. It is also included in the design of the current Sanctuary flag.
The otherworldly “Samuto Locality”, a sacred ground for the Mountain Goddess, where “the mystiques of mountains and forests” are embodied, has long been a space that could be reached by being spirited away (神隠し, kami-kakushi) in any mountain in Northeastern Japan. In Samuto at the time, there was a loose community consisted of yōkai from Tōno City, such as yama-uba or huttachi (経立), and kijin-shū (鬼人衆) who later join Kisaragi Carpentry. The existence of the otherworld was deep-rooted around the areas in the form of oral folklore, and then “discovered” by Kizen Sasaki (佐々木喜善) the folklorist. His wish was to form a friendly relationship with the Mountain Goddess and yōkai of Tōno, which was accepted.
It was in the early 20th century when this peaceful otherworld was touched by civilization for the first time. Sasaki and the indigenous dwellers of Samuto hated the evil claw of the “Operation Hakutaku”, conducted by the Imperial Japanese Anomalous Matters Examination Agency (IJAMEA), so they try hard to hide their existence from being exposed. It was Kunio Yanagita (柳田國男), a friend of Kizen Sasaki, who played an important role at this effort. Though he was not a magical practitioner, but had a a position in the Collecting Agency, and he somehow managed to delude the IJAMEA's eyes. His magnum opus, Tōno Monogatari (『遠野物語』) is also thought to be one of his deception operations of this time. Later, interest of the IJAMEA shifted to abroad; Joseon and Manchuria. Thus Tōno, a remote domestic region in the countryside, was no longer their concern.
Mayor Yabu Isanagi during the Taishō era (Collecting Agency Archive Museum material)
The second transition was just before World War I broke out. With Kunio Yanagita's connection, a human migrant came into Samuto Locality. She was a practitioner with very strong talent as a priestess, and her harmony with the Mountain Goddess was terrifically marvelous. When she was made into a priestess, the space of Samuto Locality became instantly stabilized. She was Yabu Isanagi, who was chased after her abscondence from the deity-killing Clan Isanagi. She had somewhat hard time right after her immigration, but soon after she was accepted by the dwellers. The understanding of Tōno yōkai about humans was possible because of the existence of four people: Kizen Sasaki, Kunio Yanagita, Yabu Isanagi, and Kenji Miyazawa who came into contact with Samuto Locality about 10 years later.
In late September 1933, Samuto Locality lost two people, Kizen Sasaki and Kenji Miyazawa. Being good friends of Samuto, they left a lot behind. For example: the another otherworld known as “Īhatōv”. It took a lot of effort from Yabu Isanagi to stabilize this extremely unstable otherworld emerged next door to Samuto Locality. Īhatōv Wards were very different in culture from Samuto Locality, and because that culture was reminding human society, the reaction of the dwellers was truly diverse.
Then came the third transition in mid-July 1945. The members of the Yōkai Battalion had been asking for mass migration into Samuto Locality. The yōkai sent to the battlefield had meant to betray not only the IJAMEA, but also the country of Japan, and look for their new homeland. Yabu Isanagi determined to accept them and Kunio Yanagita also expressed his approval, so the native dwellers decided to follow them.
As the Battalion was not a monolith, only about 200 of the 300 soldiers decided to mutiny and desert. Considering the situation in Okinawa at the time, it was difficult for any of them on the front lines to cross the waters without naval supremacy. Only about 100 succeeded in reaching mainland Japan, through dangerous means such as smuggling themselves inside oil tankers or submarines with the cooperation of Hōgan-kai (判官会).
On its way east, the Galactic Railroad train was under anti-air fires from the IJAMEA.
Samuto Locality provided them with the train of the Galactic Railroad, one of Kenji Miyazawa's legacies. Repaired by Kisaragi Carpentry and Tōhei Clockwork-Electric, the locomotive was just about to regain the ability to fly through three-dimensional space. This led them to the pushing ahead with the uprising and “Nocturnal Parade” in early August. Hindered by the attack by the IJAMEA, the Collecting Agency, and the Five Elements Association, some fell behind the queue of the deserters. But in the end, 60% to 70% of the mutineers successfully migrated into Samuto Locality.
Using a raucous means of a galactic locomotive, the Nocturnal Parade revealed the existence of Samuto Locality to the IJAMEA or the Collecting Agency, and resulted in situations in which Samuto were forced to determine their future external stances. The name of “Tōno Yōkai Independency” was suggested during this time, plagued by the repeated attacks by the Five Elements Association.
Meanwhile, with the end of World War II, a gigantic wave of restructuring overwhelmed the Japanese paranormal organizations. Neither the Collecting Agency nor the IJAMEA could afford to concern themselves with a humble community like Tōno. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Tōno firmly solidified their defense. However, when a group of practitioners who opposed to the merger and acquisition of the Collecting Agency into the Foundation defected to join Tōno, the Collecting Agency began to take action to become proactive about Tōno. Then, in late August 1945, Collector Hato Sakigai (波戸崎愷) was dispatched to negotiate with Tōno Independency. Based on the agreement concluded, Tōno was defined as a “reserved” place to “protect” the yōkai. This is the summary of the history until Tōno Yōkai Sanctuary was founded.
The Collecting Agency decided not to interfere with Tōno, and the policy has been passed down to the Foundation. Under the patronage by Kunio Yanagita, who cut ties with the Collecting Agency and became a privy councilor, Tōno Yōkai Sanctuary began to enjoy their serenity, receiving the migrants.
History
“the Nocturnal Parade of Pandemonium (百鬼夜行, hakki yakō)”
The mass desertion of yōkai mutineers, carried out in early August 1945. Many yōkai could not make it by the time they arrived in Tōno, as they were hunted by hostile forces such as the Five Elements Association.
Geography
the Foxes' Wedding (狐の嫁入り, kitsune-no yomeiri)
・Abnormal weather events occur frequently in the alpine zone named Ongatake, northern part of the Sanctuary
・One of the anomalous weather phenomena is the “foxes' wedding”, in which female foxes rain from the sky, looking for their marriage partner
・The lucky man on the ground at that time could become the fox's spouse
・Doesn't really matter the race of man. But it might end not well, because the foxes also judge condition of man, just like women
It is still unknown how can this possible, but the foxes were really raining. (the Foxgirl)
One of the anomalous weather events occur in Ongatake.
The foxes that get wedded are different race than the foxes that eats people. They are close to the foxes that “metamorphose for loving human” from human–animal marriage tales.
Society and Culture
the Legs (足, ashi)
“This is a village called Lower Samuto. I'll call the Legs soon, so wait here.”
I was doing sungazing for about 10 minutes, and I could see a red silhouette passing behind the paddy field at an incredible speed
When I look into with widen eyes, I realized that it was eerily bumpyIt was a CENTIPEDE the size of a car (the Foxgirl)
One of the intra-sanctuary transportations; centipedes with the size of a sedan car. They are descended from the Giant Centipede of Mount Mikami, and used by dwellers like taxis. Their tagmas are comfortable to sit on.
Nuppe Flesh (ぬっぺ肉, nuppe-niku)
“It feels unaesthetic to feed with that flesh. Is that really okay?”
“Nuppehuhohu will die from metabolic syndrome if they do not remove their flesh periodically.” (a Crooked Pine)
The surplus flesh of Nuppehuhohu, cut and processed for food. It tastes like human flesh, so useful as an alternative food for carnivorous yōkai. For a while after the WW2, it was consumed almost like a staple food and saved the newborn Sanctuary from food shortages.
Nocturnal Festival (夜行祭, yakō-matsuri)
At 6 p.m., about 800 dwellers began to climb the mountain, relying on the lights lit by the kitsunebi. The queue marched to the Kakura Shrine on the mountainside, enjoying singing and dancing. At the shrine, the yama-onna and yama-uba performed the possession ritual. Shortly after Madam Mayor made her bow, the sacred old camellia tree began to glowed, then the Goddess was incarnated in the form of overlapping Madam Mayor. (Promoting, iss. April 2020)
A festival held in spring. The Mountain Goddess will be incarnated, and events including circumambulation and banquets are held.
Administration and Organizations
Civil Guards (警防団, Keibōdan)
The Civil Guards were planning to hear testimony from the tskumo-gami of the dorōn to identify the culprit. (Promoting, iss. April 2020)
A group formed to protect dwellers from the invasion or disaster. It functions as de facto law enforcement agency and firefighting agency. In cases beyond the resources or understanding of the Civil Guards members, they can ask the Special Affairs Division of Tōkyō Metropolitan Police for aid.
Promoting Toyoho (広報とよほ, kōhō toyoho)
PR periodical issued by the municipal office. “Toyoho” is an abbreviation of “Tōno yōkai hogoku”. Since the expected readers are the Sanctuary dwellers, neologisms and loanwords are replaced by old-fashioned archaic words.
Triple Thumbtacks Company (三丁社, sanchōsha)
A trade name of Trismegistus Translation & Transportation Co., using at Tōno. It is run by the deities, and is involed in modernization projects and trade of the Sanctuary. The reason for taking this name is that the dwellers who can't speak English cannot remember their official name at all.
Foreign Affairs Division (対外課, taigaika)
The division of the municipal office, deals with the activities in the outer world. They assume relatively difficult tasks such as negotiation, espionage, and supporting refugees. The division employees are consists of humans and some yōkai that are good at incognito actions, including demon foxes.
Mayohiga (マヨヒガ / 迷い家)
One of the official entryways into the Sanctuary. They are in the remoted backwoods, where no even a path for animals exists, in the deepest mountains of Iwate Prefecture. The normalcy agencies sometimes set a trap here, so care must be taken when you enter.
Outer World
Outer World (外界, gaikai) / the Outside (外部, gaibu) / Out of the Ward (区外, kugai)
A world of humans, outside the Yōkai Sanctuary. In some cases, miscellaneous things littered the mountains outside are teleported (by the divine caprice of the Goddess) into the Sanctuary.
New Generation Anomalies (新興怪異, shinkō-kaii)
New anomalies that have occurred in modern times. Also known as “urban legends”. Compared to traditional yōkai, their survival experience is limited, so they are noticeable enough to be easily tethered by the rope of the Foundation or the GOC. The Sanctuary dwellers are pitying them, and the FAD of the municipal office is operating to rescue them.
Īhatōv
Neo-Galactic Railroad (新銀河鉄道, shin-ginga-tetsudō)
As the Neo-Galactic Railroad expanded its line to the member nations of the Galactic Federation, numerous yōkai were caught by the Foundation and the GOC while fleeing to here, Tōno Yōkai Sanctuary. In particular, it was not good to encounter the Five Elements Association before passing through Ōsaka-no-seki. (Wildcat Restaurant)
A steam locomotive galloping the 4th fantasies. It is a renovation of the Galactic Railroad, that had crashed due to the death of the author. It previously operated only within the sanctuary, but the line has been extended to “the member nations” of “the Galactic Federation”, now even the branch lines such as the “Hiraizumi-jōdo Line (平泉浄土線)”, has been laid. It is said that the locomotive is theoretically able to travel the Galaxy along a distance visible on the celestial sphere, rather than the actual distance.
Clammbon (クラムボン, kuramubon)
With the voluntary cooperation of many dwellers, at least 42 entities were captured in Īhatōv Wards. All entities were quickly lost due to their anti-recognition property. Despite its obvious uselessness, the search with the municipal office's budget is still ongoing. (Area of Special Concern)
Biomorphic entities living in Īhatōv Wards. They have anti-memetic properties, so their details are unclear. An interview with local residents revealed that they are “running and laughing”, “dying”, and “killing”. Searching for the Clammbon is one of the main duties of the municipal branch office to Īhatōv.
Trails of Events
Oral Lores
Promoting Toyoho
Other Things
How to write Toyoho GoIF
By pasting the following code onto your page, you can use a theme dedicated to Tōno Yōkai Sanctuary. Find out more on the theme page.
[[include :scp-int:theme:toyoho-web]]
Existing GoIFs using this theme include the promotional periodical. But this theme was intended to express the overall official website of the municipal office, so you can express various administrative contents, not limited to the promoting periodical.
For the promoting periodical, please use the image below as a banner.
File Page: 広報とよほバナー
Source Link: http://scp-jp-storage.wikidot.com/file:3266034-189-07m7
Lisence: CC BY-SA 3.0
Filename: top.png
Author: snoj
Released on: 2020
Note:
The font used in the “広報” part is 衡山毛筆.
https://opentype.jp/kouzanmouhitufont.htm
This font can be used commercially and there is no restriction. It can also be used freely for logos, etc.
Note: The content of this hub is not an absolute canon. Please note that this is only provided for referential.
What is Tōno Yōkai Sanctuary?
Tōno Yōkai Sanctuary is an attempt to feature the yōkai, a rooted traditional anomalies of Japan, in the universe of the Foundation; ……although it was said, there are many elements other then yōkai, such as deities, cryptids, urban legends, and fairy tales, so it may be right to call it an attempt to feature the “weird guys” of our forebears' imaginations, including legends, rumors, and literature, in the universe of the Foundation.
What can be said about most entities featured by this Sanctuary is that they are too weak to stride Japan in the Foundation universe. The Foundation has the power to contain even the Gods, and there are not many anomalies that can win head-on against such the Foundation. Even if they live in hiding away from people's eyes, the FEA/GOC that are crazy about the annihilation of the anomalies raid them without mercy, so they can never relax. By setting up the Sanctuary in such a universe, we expect it to be the basis for new dramas such as the escape to Tōno, settlement in a new world, exchanges or clashes between local dwellers and other Groups of Interests, and political theater surrounding the Sanctuary. Why not use the Sanctuary as a stage for “weird guys” who do not just stay in decline?
Periodization of History
There are three major nodes in the history of the Yōkai Sanctuary.
- Before the World War II……“the Dawn Period” before the establishment of the Yōkai Sanctuary; Samuto was seldom known except the native dwellers around Tōno.
- About the end of the war……“the Cradle Period” when the yōkai fled into Samuto and established the Sanctuary.
- From the establishment until the end of Shōwa era……“the Serenity Period”, generally peaceful time, though they suffered from external intervention attempts.
- Since Heisei era……“the Change Period” when the mood of openness rises for various reasons, and the isolationist policy changes.
It can be said that the Sanctuary had spent Hikikomori-like slow life for about half a century since its establishment. However, as various factors (pity for yōkai outside and new generation anomalies, underpopulation, interest in urbane life, worry about forgetfulness of their being, emergence of friendly GoIs, divine caprice of the Mountain Goddess, and etc. etc. ……) bursted out from the end of the Shōwa, the Sanctuary gradually shifted towards modernization and foreign friendship policy. However, there are regional differences in the degree of change, so there are still many places where the archaic landscape is still untouched. Even in the central area, the electric power, which is the core of modernization, is unstable because it depends on the thunder deities. Thus, we can describe their image as ‘patchwork modernization’: some parts, such as tourism infrastructure, stand out for innovation, but overall atmosphere has not changed beyond recognition.
Society and Culture
The level of civilization in Samuto Locality is approximately that of the rural areas of the early Shōwa era. On the other hand, the new culture of the yōkai that have migrated after WW2 has been brought in to some extent, thus there are some modernized parts like a patchwork. Though the early Shōwa was also the period of industrial mechanization, Samuto Locality had lacked any way to acquire petroleum, so their technology relies on natural powers and paranormal resources.
In Tōno, which has long been isolationist, there is a custom of arbitrarily interpreting junks that have drifted from the outside. So you can see weird scenery including using the Nintendo GameCube as a pickle-pressing stone. As for thing whose purpose cannot be found, they will not abandon it, because they reason that: “if it stays for about a hundred years, a tsukumo-gami will spring up and inform us of its purpose”.
Economy
Barter is the main economic activity between the permanent dwellers; various forestry products, items of personal preferences, and anomalous artifacts are well circulated. Besides, a system called “Tourist-only Currency (観光用通貨, kankōyō-tsūka)” has been introduced in order to suppress commercialization expected by the tourism. When receiving various services, tourists are obligated to pay with special sawtooth acorns or sakaki leaves, instead of real money such as Japanese Yen. These tokens as pseudo-currencies can be obtained through the currency exchange counters (両替所, ryōgaesho) on the Sanctuary premises. Then, the dwellers who provided tourists certain goods or services can take these tokens to the municipal office and exchange them for daily necessities or foreign-made goods. Since acorns and leaves rot to lost their value when being piled up, it is hard for capital accumulation to occur, which is the basis of the gap between the rich and the poor. The foreign currency collected through currency exchange is used for foreign activity costs and payment for trade business.
Foreign Activities
Not all monsters have migrated to Tōno since the establishment of the Sanctuary. Some remain in their homeland, some have migrated to another otherworld, and some have been living in hiding among humans. Though the Sanctuary is basically laissez-faire for yōkai outside, but they regularly check on their whereabouts so that they can offer a helping hand in time of need. Recently, the influx of new generation anomalies such as urban legends and cryptids has begun, and the number of would-be immigrants is on the rise.
Relations with Other Organizations
Normalcy Agencies
- The Sanctuary has a deeply rooted avoidance of normalcy agencies, so their stay is not permitted except in exceptional circumstances.
- As the only exception, one non-Foundation and non-GOC JAGPATO personnel has been allowed. Accrodingly, one police officer belonging to the Special Affairs Division (SAD) of Tōkyō Metropolitan Police is stationed and functions as a communication channel between the Sanctuary and the normalcy agencies.
- Therefore, when it comes to the Sanctuary, the Japanese government having jurisdiction over the SAD has an intelligence advantage over the two major normalcy agencies.
- The Five Elements Association, a member of the Council of 108 of the GOC, has pursed the eradication of yōkai since the ancient times, and still continue their hostilities against the Sanctuary.
- As the only exception, one non-Foundation and non-GOC JAGPATO personnel has been allowed. Accrodingly, one police officer belonging to the Special Affairs Division (SAD) of Tōkyō Metropolitan Police is stationed and functions as a communication channel between the Sanctuary and the normalcy agencies.
Commercial Enterprises
- Kisaragi Construction has a base of business in the Sancturary, and is in charge of the overall construction within Samuto Locality, from the thatching of traditional houses to extension of the power plant.
- They are receiving commissions from not only the yōkai, but also the humans. Thus, we can say that Kisaragi shows rather gentle and neutral appearance in the Sanctuary, compared to their outside activities.
- The Sanctuary often allows coverage by the Koigarezaki Newspaper.
- Triple Thumbtacks Company (= Ttt Co.) serves as a bridge between the Sanctuary and the outer world, and conducts various businesses such as telemarketing local products and inviting the talented.
- Ambrose Restaurants is one of the successful foreign capital enterprises. From all walks of life, both PoIs and anomalies visit Ambrose Wildcat House.
Non-governmental Organizations
- It's been a long time since there has been an individual relationships between the Sanctuary and some members of the Aodaishō, one of the subgroups of the Serpent's Hand. The transfer operation in 2020 deepen the friendship between two organizations in earnest.
- The Dinodons also visits Samuto Locality regularly for follow-up.
- PAMWAC knows the existence of the Sanctuary, and there is at least one PAMWACer married to the dweller and buried his bones in a land of Samuto.
Other Otherworlds
- The anomalies of Samuto Locality have an indecisive relationship with the Drunkness Street.
- While forgotten anomalies are often dragged into the Street and disappear, some of the remembered or escaped return to the reality via in the Tipsy Alley.
- There are cases where a person who has lost in the Drunkness Street reaches the Tipsy Alley and ends up being a dweller of the Sanctuary. One case is from Chicago far away.
Toyoho in Specific Canons
Fusōki
This canon is compatible with the main timeline,17 and the tab “Let's Learn Our History” of this hub page is based on this canon.
the Year of 1998
Canon with a torn Veil. The government guaranteed the yōkai their rights, including basic human rights. As of 2025, the Sanctuary was renamed “Tōno Autonomous Prefecture”.
Crossroad Comedies
It is not much different from the main timeline, but the Sanctuary is deeply heartbroken by the immiseration of the yōkai of the outer world. Being the main supporter for the yōkai, they strongly appeals to the paranormal communities for the coexistence with them.
Double Hometown
After the world was submerged, the yōkai community on Sado Island found that the communication with the Tōno Sanctuary is lost.
Lastly,
The concept and name of “Tōno Yōkai Sanctuary” originated from this map created by Nanimono Demonai. We thank him.
Hey that's all for page-monster
お静かに まだ おでってくなんせーFarewell and we will await your next visit
Cite this page as:
"Tōno Yōkai Sanctuary (Toyoho) Hub" by 2MeterScale, aisurakuto, FattyAcid, fish_paste_slice, hitsujikaip, islandsmaster, kskhorn, Mishary, Nanigashi Sato, sakuradafarm, Salamander724, and snoj, from the SCP Wiki. Source: https://scpwiki.com/toyoho-hub. Licensed under CC BY-SA.
For information on how to use this component, see the License Box component. To read about licensing policy, see the Licensing Guide.
the Original article was posted by
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