[Ibaraki Kasen cosplay] Touhou Project's Steamed Bun Immortal Daily Selfies

Taking out this Ibaraki Kasen outfit and getting styled, I immersed myself in the lore of Touhou Project to experience the daily life of the "Steamed Bun Immortal." For this shoot, I specially prepared a bamboo steamer and plump white steamed bun props as the core elements. The outfit mainly features a bright red sleeveless vest with subtle jacquard patterns in the fabric and delicate golden leaf embroidery stitched along the edges, which adds tremendous quality. The inner layer is a white long-sleeved top spliced with tiered pink ruffles on the lower section and accented with white lace, giving the overall look both traditional Eastern charm and playful sweetness.

After putting on the pink short wig, I secured it with clips to prevent the bangs from obstructing my vision. The voluminous white hair ornaments on both sides, edged with red piping like large ribbon bows, brightly accented the hairstyle and flattered my facial silhouette. The large pink-and-white peony flower accessory pinned to the chest is the crowning touch of the upper garment; its subtle yellow stamens provide a gentle transition across the main red-and-white color palette, looking wonderfully textured under the light during the shoot.

The white cloth bandages wrapped around both wrists visually enhance the martial artist and hermit persona, fitting the character's temperament in the original work perfectly when paired with this outfit. For makeup, I deliberately accentuated the eye contours with slightly elongated eyeliner, paired with a matte orange-brown lip color to keep the expression sharp yet gentle. After all, portraying this immortal from Touhou Ibara Kasen: Wild and Horned Hermit means the expression shouldn't look too fierce, yet should carry a touch of worldly detachment.

The biggest challenge during this shoot was actually the props. The small bamboo steamer is made of authentic materials and carries noticeable weight in hand. Inside were three plump, white steamed bun props, specially crafted with pleated textures to look remarkably realistic. In Photo 2, balancing a steamed bun on my head with one hand was an amusingly clumsy and hilarious experiment, but such antics often yield unexpectedly vivid, spontaneous moments in selfies.

Regarding the mirrored selfie issue, I'd like to mention that because these were taken directly or in the mirror using the front-facing camera, the orientation is flipped left-to-right, making angle adjustments in the mirror rather frantic. These photos were captured after countless angle tweaks while holding the heavy steamer in one hand to catch the light. As for why there are no chains, I really didn't want to haul kilograms of heavy props out for casual selfies—dogeza apologies to all Touhou Project fans! In truth, this outfit has a great casual feel, unpretentious and perfect for documenting Touhou cosplay in daily life.

Every Touhou Project cosplay is a tribute to the spirit of the original works. Although Kasen holds a unique identity in the story, her everyday state always carries that paradoxical blend of ethereal divinity and grounded warmth. I strove to showcase her unique charm through the harmony of costume and expression. The dominant red palette brightens the complexion and grabs attention; whether in color saturation, fabric drape, or the contrast between white sleeves and the red vest, this work delivers strong visual impact. While casual phone snapshots can't rival polished DSLR masterworks, they excel in authenticity and warmth—which is likely why many fans enjoy convention photos and behind-the-scenes snapshots. Presenting these finished shots is a personal wrap-up for this character portrayal; enjoying the process of stepping into a 2D character is already an immense joy in itself.