Byakuren Hijiri

"Namusan!"

- Buddhist remark she sometimes shouts

Byakuren Hijiri is a Buddhist human monk sealed in Hokkai, deep within Makai for helping youkai, she's the final boss of Touhou: Undefined Fantastic Object and a sworn enemy of Miko's clan. Though not truly evil, she's known to be naïve and has been influenced by fear so much that her ideals and actions represent a threat to the fine balance that the protagonists, specially Reimu, have worked on setting between humans and youkai to ensure their well-being of everybody. She began to help Youkai in need because of the fear of death she developed after her brother died. She found the secret of eternal youth so she is far older than she looks and never ages. Though her incautiousness and motives are feared, she has the support of five youkai she helped and rescued before she was imprisoned.

Appearance
Byakuren appears as a young woman with long, wavy, light brown hair that seems to fade to purple at the top, and hazel or light brown eyes. She wears a black and white dress with long strips of black ribbon going across the middle and white ribbon across the arms. Along with this dress, she wears a long cape. She also holds a magical scroll.

Backstory
Prior to the events of Undefined Fantastic Object, Byakuren's brother passed away which caused her to grow a fear of death so she used her power to maintain her youth, still scared of losing it, she helped several youkai such as Murasa in many ways. Byakuren was also fond of humans, in fact she wanted humans and youkai to co-exist. The idealist monk was ultimately sealed away in Makai by humans; this however, did not cause her to bear a grudge to them.

Story
During the events of Unidentified Fantastic Object, the group of youkai she had previously helped make an appearance to break the seal of their savior. Each one of them confronts the heroine in battle, however in the end they still manage to resurrect Byakuren. After her defeat, her fate depends on which heroine is chosen by the player.

Based on events in Undefined Fantastic Object's Extra and later on in Touhou Hisoutensoku, it's known that she made a temple near the Human Village.

Relationships

 * Ichirin Kumoi (Follower)
 * Minamitsu Murasa (Saved youkai)
 * Shou Toramaru (Follower)
 * Myouren Hijiri (Younger brother, deceased)
 * Nue Houjuu (Currently living at her temple)
 * Mamizou Futatsuiwa (Currently living at her temple)
 * Toyosatomimi no Miko (Religious rival)
 * Kyouko Kasodani (Employee)
 * Reimu Hakurei (Business rival)

Trivia

 * Byakuren was one of the candidates for the extra boss of Ten Desires, along with Kasen Ibara.
 * Myouren, Byakuren's younger brother, was a real Buddhist priest born in Shinano Province, which is ZUN's hometown, and trained at Chougosonshi Temple (朝護孫子寺) on Mount Shigi (信貴山). He appears in several stories, but the most significant one is Shigisan Engi, which is one of the most popular emakimono. In its third volume, there is an unnamed Buddhist priestess who wants to meet Myouren, who is her younger brother. She is the inspiration for Byakuren. The priestess is looking for Myouren because she is worried about him not coming back, so she stays at Toudaiji, where Myouren had made the vows for priesthood. Daibutsu tells her in a dream that there is a purple cloud over the side of the mountain southwest from where she is. She goes there the next morning, and finally she is able to meet and live together with him.
 * Written in ZUN's hand on her final cut-in is 南無三！ (Namusan!), which is short for 南無三宝 - roughly, "Hail to the three treasures of Buddhism" (the Buddha, dharma, and the clergy). It's used to request salvation in a moment of danger. Byakuren also uses this term at the very end of her dialogue with the heroine.
 * Byakuren appears on the cover of the Undefined Fantastic Object case.
 * During her second-to-last (fourth) spell card on Easy, the stars under the health bar show she has two lives left. She does, but only on higher difficulties.
 * The same spell card looks like one of Shinki's attack patterns.
 * Byakuren's Lotus Butterfly seems to act similar in appearance (and in two or three attack patterns) to YuugenMagan.
 * In Undefined Fantastic Object, the player can touch Byakuren and not lose a life, but only during specific times.
 * In Oriental Sacred Place chapter 12, Byakuren's hair is lighter on the top and gets darker towards the bottom.
 * Byakuren and Murasa made it to the finals in the 5th Touhou M-1 Grand Prix