Item #: SCP-3261
Object Class: Safe
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-3261-1 and all instances of SCP-3261-2 to be stored in a secure containment locker in the E wing of Site-64. SCP-3261-2 instances are only to be removed from the locker for testing purposes.
Description: SCP-3261-1 is a 17-stringed koto made from Paulownia tomentosa wood measuring 182 centimeters in length. The ryūgaku is decorated with a floral pattern, while the ryūzetsu depicts a small village and is engraved with the kanji "樺岡1". SCP-3261-2 is the collective designation for 12 pieces of sheet music for koto written in Yamada school notation.
When an instance of SCP-3261-2 is viewed, the viewer will begin to search for SCP-3261-1. The degree of this compulsion varies depending on the instance viewed. Copies of SCP-3261-2 do not preserve this anomalous effect.
When the viewer finds SCP-3261-1, they will begin to use it to play the SCP-3261-2 instance viewed. The SCP-3261-2 instance will be played within an error margin of 0.7%. If play is interrupted, the player will become distressed and attempt to resume by any means possible.
The player and all listeners will begin to perceive a scene dependent on the instance of SCP-3261-2 selected. The player and listeners can interact with people and objects within this scene, collectively designated as SCP-3261-3, although these objects are not visible to non-listeners. When SCP-3261-2 ends, the player and listeners will become unconscious for approximately 15 minutes. Selected SCP-3261-2 instances are listed below:
| Instance | Title | Scene | Notes |
| SCP-3261-2a | 村人の子守唄 (Villager's Lullaby) | A small village with late Meiji era architecture at dusk. At the beginning of the third line, a man exits a house carrying a wooden bucket. The man collects water from a well in the center of the village. During the seventh line, he re-enters the house. | Thought to be the village depicted on the ryūzetsu of SCP-3261-1. Lyrics are similar to a typical lullaby. |
| SCP-3261-2c | 小瑠璃 (Siberian Blue Robins) | Two young boys watching a pair of Siberian blue robins in a cherry tree. The robins' vocalizations align with the rhythm of the song. | Song consists of three stanzas, each of which is a tanka. Lyrics describe the robins in a manner typical of Japanese poetry. |
| SCP-3261-2d | 君が代 (Kimigayo) | The coronation ceremony of Emperor Meiji. No deviations from the original event have been observed. | Song was composed in 1880 and became the national anthem in 1888, although Meiji was coronated in 1868. |
| SCP-3261-2g | Unknown | A village identical to that appearing in SCP-3261-2a at noon. SCP-3261-3g1, a man in 1970s clothing, can be seen frantically searching for an unknown object. | No lyrics. See notes on SCP-3261-2a. Page is partially illegible due to water damage. SCP-3261-3g1 is thought to be searching for SCP-3261-1. |
| SCP-3261-2j | 私の親愛なる小春専用 (Dedicated to My Dear Koharu) | A young couple walking through a village identical to that appearing in SCP-3261-2a in the morning. | Lyrics are typical of modern love songs, although analysis of the paper and ink has determined it was composed in the early 1910s. SCP-3261-2j is the longest known instance of SCP-3261-2. |
Addendum 3261-01: SCP-3261-3j9, a man standing near the well in SCP-3261-2j, was interviewed by Researcher Hidekazu ███████. A transcript of the interview is attached below.
Addendum 3261-02: A journal (now designated SCP-3261-3g9) was recovered from SCP-3261-2g, thought to belong to SCP-3261-3g1. An excerpt from the journal is attached below.
