Eika Ebisu is a cheerful and sensible stillborn spirit who’s liked by all. She spends her time piling stones into towers at Sai no Kawara, which is said to be somewhere along the Sanzu River.

In the past, Urumi Ushizaki frequently attacked humans, but has since become extremely friendly. She’s an ushi-oni youkai who runs a fishery by the Sanzu River.

Kutaka Niwatari is an intelligent and polite god of chickens who works as an overseer of the checkpoint leading to various Otherworlds. She lives above a waterfall on the Youkai Mountain in a place that provides a sensational view.

In Gensokyo, there’s a path behind the Youkai Mountain that leads to the Sanzu River. It’s known as the Road of Liminality, and the dead often walk it, hoping to reach the river. You may think it a sad and lonely place, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Every day, goldfish-scooping stands, soul-candy stores, and other fun street stalls open up, and the road buzzes with energy. Of course, it wasn’t always like that, and it’s said the reason has something to do with Hell’s financial predicaments.

Today is an ennichi, a day typically spent celebrating our connection to the gods and Buddha with festivals and offerings. But what does such a day mean here, where so many dead gather? The way the road bustles more than ever answers that question loud and clear. Here, one needn’t worry about the day’s original meaning. No matter what culture you’re from, what species you are, or whether you’re dead or alive, it’s a day to come together and have fun. The excitement in the air is surely enough to get even more people than usual to give up on their thoughts of giving up on life.