Reincarnated Head of Hieda

Hieda no Akyuu is the ninth Maiden of Miare. She is the current head of the Hieda clan, a noble family in the Human Village. She is the author of the current edition of the Gensokyo Chronicle, a compilation of information about the regions and youkai of Gensokyo.

The ability to not forget things seen once has been passed down through generations of the Children of Miare for over a thousand years. Akyuu is the ninth of these children, who have different titles depending on their gender. Boys are called Sons of Miare, while girls are called Maidens of Miare.

Calligraphy is an art where you express yourself using a brush and paper. Calligraphy is not just writing characters on paper―a calligrapher puts their thoughts and emotions into their work. Not only do they need to know basics such as the stroke order and how to hold a brush properly, they must also master techniques of expression that will enable them to create their own works of art.

Some time ago, the Human Village experienced an incident in which sake vanished mysteriously from the barrels it was stored in. Akyuu suspected that a youkai was involved, so she prepared a soporific cocktail: One-Night Kushinada. It is said to be the drink used to put the legendary eight-headed serpent, Yamata no Orochi, to sleep.

There is a magnificent cherry blossom tree in the Hieda clan's garden. During the cherry blossom season, people pray to Konohana-Sakuyahime, the goddess of cherry blossoms, which are a symbol of transience. At the same time, they also pray to her older sister, Iwanagahime, who represents the permanence of rock and can bestow the gift of longevity.