>>50212743
>Touhou even moves the dragon palace from the bottom of the sea to the moon to account for mythos
Only within the context of Urashima Taro, in which it wasn't even that there was a Dragon Palace on the moon, so much as Toyohime just making up the excuse that the Lunar Capital *was* the mystical Dragon Palace to draw attention away from the existence of people on the moon, since they're determined to remain hidden.
But there's also a strong implication that there is a *real* Dragon Palace, which is far more connected to Heaven and the Celestials, which sends messengers to Earth to warn them of earthquakes and the like.
>I think the gods from Takamagahara weren't allowed back to heaven due to how they had become tainted by impurity and thus they took over the moon and made the lunar capital. Even if impurity isn't a threat to the celestials, they still turn their nose up at the impure.
We know very little about Heaven, but from what we do know, they don't really care.
There are low-ranking celestial maidens (not to be confused with proper Celestials) who go to Earth to get married and return when they get bored, and while it's considered gauche, there is no hint that there is any consequence for them other than having to write an apology if they lose their veil.
They also keep a modicum of contact with the surface people, unlike Lunarians, as we see with the elixir Tenshi ate, which was intended for hermits they invited, as well as there being stories of Celestials going down to Earth just to say something cryptic and leave.
If they can accept that, then a group of them leaving for a little should be easily accepted back in, especially since they carry minimal amounts of kegare.
>besides if not heaven, where would the heavenly gods descend from?
I dunno, some mountain? A flying castle that doesn't go high enough to truly avoid Earth? As long as they "descended" from somewhere, their claims would technically be correct.
>What would even make them heavenly in contrast to the earthly gods if they're also from earth?
Pure narcissism. They're not actually that special other than thinking themselves to be.
Remember that in the latest game, we learned that Yuiman held the same divine rank as those who were fleeing to the moon, but Yuimankoku existed on the border of the afterlife, which is as far from "heavenly" as it gets, so it's hardly some divine mandate that elevates them above others.

The Lunarians are just massive scam artists, by all accounts, only good for sex appeal.

FACT: thanks to the overactive imagination of the human villagers, more and more youkai are being born of senseless rumors!
In order to combat this menace our lovely overseer Yukari-sama has just the solution! Sending her spies our into the world she selects the sacrificial Anons of the world to sate the lust of the ravenous youkai who seem insatiable!