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Suwako Moriya

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moɽija sɯwako (♫)
Suwako Moriya
Suwako
Suwako Moriya in Touhou Hisoutensoku
The Highest of Indigenous Gods
More Character Titles
Species

God of mountains

Abilities

Creating earthliness

Age

Unknown, but one of the oldest gods; she far predates the invasion by the Goddess Kanako and the Yamato in the Great Suwa War, approximately 2,300 years ago.[citation needed]

Occupation

Former goddess of Moriya Shrine

Location

Moriya Shrine, Youkai Mountain, Underground Geyser Center; Originally from the Outside World

Music Themes
Appearances
Official Games
Print Works

"Pay more respect to the earth.
Otherwise, who knows? You might even get cursed. Heh heh."
Suwako Moriya (Touhou Hisoutensoku)

Suwako Moriya (洩矢 諏訪子 Moriya Suwako) is the original goddess of the Moriya Shrine that now officially belongs to Kanako Yasaka but in Suwako's words she handles most of the divine services while Kanako and the shrine maiden, Sanae Kochiya, handle the "sales" and the duties of gathering faith.[1] Suwako first appeared as the Extra Stage boss of Mountain of Faith and also became a playable character, or possible opponent, in Touhou Hisoutensoku.

General Information

Personality

Suwako typically acts friendly and cheerful but though she feigns ignorance, Suwako is just as capable of scheming as Kanako. In contrast to Kanako, Suwako is more laid back and mischievous. Despite her young look, she is a god that has lived for over 2,300 years and is wise and even cunning. She enjoys competing against others, and loses gracefully. Combined with her rarely leaving the shrine, her intentions can be hard to read. She doesn't come forth of her own volition often. Whether it is because she is bad at marketing faith by herself or some other reason is one of the mysteries of the Moriya Shrine. Suwako also likes frogs, despite not being an actual frog goddess.[1]

Abilities

Ability to create earthliness

Suwako's ability specifically refers to the element of Kun (), one of the eight trigrams in Taoist philosophy that means creating Earth. Kun is exactly the pinnacle of the native god and is associated with acceptance, devotion, subtlety, flexibility, and reacting to others rather than acting first. Kanako Yasaka's ability to create the "heavenliness" of Bagua, or Qian (), refers to the opposite element. Although Mountain of Faith offers little insight into the nature of Suwako's abilities, her attack animations in Touhou Hisoutensoku depict her "swimming" through the ground, summoning magma, geysers, various rocks and minerals, growing plants instantly, and bending rivers.[2]

Unlike Kanako, who is technically a Divine Spirit and once had a human form, Suwako is one of the Yaoyorozu no Kami, and thus consists purely of faith. She also controls the Mishaguji, which is one of her main sources of faith from humans. When a portion of her spirit is enshrined, she can take on the form of a frog. In this form, she can grant various blessings, such as safe travel, financial upturn, and transfiguration.[3]

Possessions

Iron rings

Possibly because of her ability to manipulate minerals, Suwako uses large iron rings as weapons in various attacks. Aya Shameimaru mentions that weapon isn't a kanawa, Japanese Chakram-like weapon, because of the way she throws it. According to Hatate Himekaidou, they are scarily sharp.[4]

Official Profiles

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Official Profiles

Skills

Skills

Spell Cards

Spellcards

Backstory

It is revealed that during ancient times, Suwako was a ruler of a small kingdom and controlled the Mishaguji, who were curse gods that had obtained enormous amounts of faith, cursing birth, harvests, militaries, and many other things. Only Suwako was able to tame them. However, gods from the Yamato (Ancient Japan) invaded her kingdom, saying that they were going to unify all the kingdoms to create a single country known as Japan. Unwilling to let this happen, Suwako resisted and fought with the finest steel weapons of the time. However, Kanako held out a thin vine, and Suwako's large steel arsenal instantly rusted away. Suwako realized the difference in their divine powers and her defeat; she graciously forfeited and relinquished her kingdom.

Character Design

Origin

Suwako is most likely based on Moreya, a god of the Suwa region. He is known for wielding iron rings and fighting a battle (or playing a game similar to tug of war) against Suwa Myoujin (also known as Takeminakata), one of the gods that inspired Kanako. In some versions of the myth, Suwa Myoujin fought alongside a young boy named Arikazu (有員) and later declared Arikazu to be his Arahitogami. Moreya is said to be an ancestor of the Moriya Clan (守矢氏), including Sanae Moriya, the real person who inspired Sanae Kochiya. Priests from this clan historically held several offices in the Suwa-taisha (Suwa Grand Shrine)'s Upper Shrine (上社 Kamisha). Although the high priest (大祝 Oohouri) was someone from the Suwa clan (which claimed to be Suwa Myoujin's descendants), only the Moreya clan's priests had full knowledge of the shrine's ceremonies and were able to summon the Mishaguji. Moreya is currently enshrined at the Moriya Shrine (洩矢神社) in Okaya, a short distance west of the Suwa-taisha.

Moreya has no direct association with frogs, and Suwako's frog association seems to be based on a separate myth where Suwa Myoujin calms the ocean waves by defeating a frog god (蝦蟆神 gama gami). Several of the myths related to Moreya, Suwa-taisha, and the frog god are referenced by Suwako's spell cards.

Name

Her full name is Moriya Suwako (洩矢 諏訪子). Her family name is the same as the god Moreya (洩矢)'s name. (Moreya is an archaic, alternate pronunciation of Moriya) Note that the Moriya clan's name and the Touhou Moriya Shrine's name are written with different kanji (守矢) than the god Moreya's name, Suwako's surname, and the real-world Moriya Shrine's name. Additionally, Moriya is a real-world Japanese surname that is usually written 守屋, and there was a second Moriya clan (unrelated to the god Moreya) at the Suwa-taisha whose name is also written 守屋. The name Suwako (諏訪子) is modified from Lake Suwa (諏訪湖 Suwa-ko), which is the largest lake in Nagano prefecture and is located between the Suwa-taisha's four main shrines. The area also features one of the world's largest geysers.

Design

Suwako wears a short simple purplish-blue dress with a frog print design based on a panel from the first Chōjū-giga scroll, as well as large white sleeves stitched onto the torso, and a white collar. She has medium length blond hair, grey eyes, a light brown wide-brimmed hat with two frog eyes on the top, white kneehighs and black shoes. Originally unofficial, Suwako has been shown to wear Zettai Ryouiki in Touhou Hisoutensoku and Hopeless Masquerade.

Appearances

Mountain of Faith
Suwako's sprite in MoF

Reimu and Marisa hear rumors about a second god residing in the Moriya Shrine. Both heroines set out for the shrine to confirm the rumor when they meet Suwako. Suwako explains that the Moriya Shrine was originally solely hers and that she's the one who administers divine blessings/curses whereas Kanako tends to act as the face of the shrine. She also reveals that Kanako was the god who moved the shrine to Gensokyo. After subjecting the heroines to a "danmaku festival" and being impressed by their skills, she decides to stay in Gensokyo.

Subterranean Animism

In Subterranean Animism, Suwako appeared revealing an industrial revolution project by Kanako that caused Reimu to get mad for being sent to the Hell of Blazing Fires.

Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom

Suwako makes another appearance in Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom, this time in Sanae's ending if the player loses a life playing Legacy Mode. Suwako arrives while Kanako was training Sanae to become better at danmaku dodging, saying that she has found a conclusion for the analysis she has done with the Ultramarine Orb Elixir. Suwako declares the elixir to be dangerous to a native god like her since it also had the effect of purifying the past. Apparently, if Sanae were to take it, it would leave her a "pure human".

Suwako sprite in Touhou Hisoutensoku
Touhou Hisoutensoku

In Touhou Hisoutensoku, Suwako was the final boss of Sanae Kochiya's scenario, but also as an aid for Sanae to attack her opponent (including herself). She was aware of the true nature of the vanishing giant seen roaming around Gensokyo, that being Hisoutensoku and was confronted by Sanae over this and other secretive actions Suwako was involved in. She is also a playable character in arcade and versus modes. Despite the last stage status and having a diverse set of attacks, she is regarded as a low-tier character in essentially every Hisoutensoku tier listing.

Double Spoiler

In Double Spoiler, Suwako appeared as a stage 11 target, where she uses a few spell cards and had Aya Shameimaru and Hatate Himekaidou take photos of her and her danmaku.

Hopeless Masquerade
Suwako in HM

Suwako made a background cameo appearance in Hopeless Masquerade on the Genbu Ravine and Youkai Tanuki Forest stage. She is seen standing next to Sanae Kochiya hopping.

Impossible Spell Card

After apparently reading the newspaper by the tengu about a mischief-making amanojaku, she becomes one of the many people to try and stop Seija Kijin. She uses spell cards that are considered impossible to dodge.

Violet Detector
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The Grimoire of Marisa

Suwako is one of the people whose spell cards Marisa Kirisame documents, adding descriptions, comments, and considerations to imitate them.

Wild and Horned Hermit

Suwako is interrogated by Kasen Ibaraki in chapter 4 after she was suspected to be involved in the construction of the dam at the foot of Youkai Mountain. Suwako confirms her suspicions, saying that the landslide is artificial and its true use is to create a lake needed for another base for the Moriya Shrine. However, the incompetence of the kappas obligated the cancellation of the project. During the opening of the ropeway in chapter 39, she dresses up as a Kappa and make announcements to the human worshipers.

Symposium of Post-mysticism

Hieda no Akyuu writes an in-universe encyclopedic article on Suwako as part of the Gensokyo Chronicle. Additionally, Aya Shameimaru writes a Bunbunmaru Newspaper article about Suwako and her nuclear reactor underneath Youkai Mountain.

The Grimoire of Usami

Suwako was one of the contestants during the Hakurei Fireworks Festival and showcased some of her danmaku.

Foul Detective Satori
Attention: This section is a stub and it needs expanding with more information related to the section's topic. If you can add to it in any way, please do so.
Whispered Oracle of Hakurei Shrine

Reimu Hakurei writes a fortune slip about Suwako as a way of cleaning up in the aftermath of an incident.

Relationships

Kanako Yasaka

While Suwako claims to still hold a grudge against Kanako for taking over her shrine, her own faith actually increased as a result. By now they've become good friends.

Sanae Kochiya

Sanae acts as a wind priestess under Suwako and is able to summon her. Sanae is also Suwako's descendant.

Utsuho Reiuji

She was presumably present when Kanako presented the Yatagarasu to Utsuho.

Mishaguji

Suwako was the one who tamed the Mishaguji, and she's the only one who can control them.

Hisoutensoku

It's implied that Suwako was involved in Hisoutensoku's construction.

Gallery

Artworks

Sprites

Illustrations

Screenshots

Others

Additional Information

Suwako, as illustrated in The Grimoire of Marisa
  • Kanako Yasaka and Suwako are described in Silent Sinner in Blue Chapter 6 as gods that have a body. Having a body is likely why they can move and act so independently as opposed to gods who need a vessel, although they are still capable of splitting their spirit when summoned and called upon like all Japanese gods.
  • Chapter 19 of Silent Sinner in Blue implies that the Lunarians are using shimenawa to seal away a god at the Moriya Shrine. It's unknown if Suwako is aware of this. Her win quote to Reisen Udongein Inaba in Touhou Hisoutensoku merely has her commenting, "I heard that there are all kinds of gods where you come from."
  • Suwako's strongest spell card in Touhou Hisoutensoku resembles the ultimate attack of Akuma from Street Fighter, the Shun Goku Satsu.
  • In Touhou Hisoutensoku, one of her palettes is a homage to Hina Kagiyama.
  • Suwako's theme "Native Faith" is an homage to "Boss6", the BGM used in an STG released by Taito in 1989, Night Striker (ナイトストライカー).

Fandom

Official Sources

Official sources

See Also

References