< Sakuya Izayoi | Back to Title of Contents | Eirin Yagokoro > Owner of Kourindo Rinnosuke Morichika Occupation: Antique store shopkeeper Ability: Ability to know the name and utility of an item Residence: Kourindo He is the owner of Kourindo, an antique store established at the entrance of the Forest of Magic. He is Kourindo's sole operator. He is not exactly human, but rather a half-human, half-youkai. Even though his lifespan is longer than those of normal humans, he is not very strong due to lack of training. He previously worked at the antique store owned by the Kirisames, but he started a store on his own, believing that in order to make the most of his ability, he needed to deal with ones that nobody knew how to use, not just common goods. Items that nobody knew how to use, meaning items from the outside world. Although he is very knowledgeable, he is prone to pondering by himself and not leaving the shop, as well as being cold even towards customers. Not a suitable attitude for conducting business. Ability He has the ability to perceive the name and purpose of an item. Even if it is an object he has never seen before, just by looking at it, its name comes to his mind, and just by saying this name, he can imagine what the object's purpose is. Although this is an extremely suitable ability for an antique dealer, it does have one fatal weakness. He is unable to determine how to use an item. Because of that, you must find out for yourself how to use of most items obtained at Kourindo (*1). But even so, there are some objects whose operation can be understood and performed. By using those, it is possible to benefit from the superior technology of the outside world, but he refuses to sell most of the usable items. Basically, he is the only one benefitting from the technology of the outside world. Even though there's hardly a shop owner more unsuited to business, Kourindo is still the only shop that deals with items from the outside world, and because of this, it has its regular customers. < 1: There are too many outside world tools you can't figure how to use by intuition alone. Kourindo Just beside the Forest of Magic, there is a disheveled and unsightly foreign-style building. That is Kourindo. Rather than daily necessities, this shop deals in tools from the outside world, youkai items and netherworld articles. At Kourindo, neither humans nor youkai are ever refused, so anyone can visit. A great number of items are arranged haphazardly within the store, only comparable to a warehouse. Since no-one knows for what any of the items are used, if something interests you, all you can do is inquire the shop owner about it. There are no prices listed and no way to know the market value so caveat emptor. There is a large storeroom behind the store, and most of the items lying there are not for sale. Refusing to sell anything he finds useful or interesting makes one wonder if he really has any business spirit at all (*2), one of the features of Kourindo and its owner. 2: He has none. Common Merchandise at Kourindo Heater Even if you visit during winter, it's warm inside Kourindo. Actually, it's even hot, and that's due to this heater. But given that its fuel is hard to obtain (*3), it would not be useful even if you bought it. Personal Computer A shikigami from the outside world (*4). It's said that given a simple order, they can gather information in an instant. They come in a variety of shapes. However, not even the shop owner has successfully used one. To be frank, simply buying one would be useless. Cellular Phone Those are said to make it possible to converse with others from far away. The newer versions supposedly even allow one to communicate with one's ancestors in the netherworld. However, those too have not been successfully used as of yet. At most, they can only be used for throwing as danmaku. Camera They are similar to the cameras the tengu carry. However, they are smaller and lighter than those. According to the shop owner, they are apparently also called digital cameras. But no matter what you do, no photos come out of it. Simply junk. Television Itfs a box that can display the soul of distant scenes. Souls easily possess objects that display human form, so it might be useful as container for spirits. Water Filter A mysterious item that cleans water that passes through it. However, it gives the water a bad taste for some reason. Unpopular. Game Consoles Mysterious boxes. Said to be outside world toys. They come in a variety of forms. Although the manner of playing is unknown, kicking them around like in Kemari has become popular. 3: Just where does he get his fuel? 4: As shikigami are weak against water, computers are weak against it, too. < Sakuya Izayoi | Back to Title of Contents | Eirin Yagokoro >