Japanese Dragon water fountain in Fujiyoshida.

Japanese Dragon shrine in Fujiyoshida.

Japanese Dragon fountain in Hakone.

A Japanese dragon, also known as ryū or tatsu (龍 or 竜, ryū or tatsu^? "dragon") is a legendary creature from Japan. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1280 × 960 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1280 × 960 pixel, file size: 1. ... Fujiyoshida (富士吉田市; -shi) is a city located in Yamanashi, Japan. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (960 × 1280 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (960 × 1280 pixel, file size: 1. ... Fujiyoshida (富士吉田市; -shi) is a city located in Yamanashi, Japan. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1280 × 960 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1280 × 960 pixel, file size: 2. ... Mt. ... A legendary creature is a mythological or folkloric creature (often known as fabulous creatures in historical literature). ...

Like other creatures referred to as dragons, the Ryū is a large, fantastic, serpent-like being, and is closely related to the Chinese lóng and the Korean yong. Along with these Eastern dragons, it is usually depicted as a wingless, heavily-scaled snake-like creature with small clawed legs and a horned or antlered reptilian head, and is associated with large bodies of water, clouds or the heavens. Japanese dragons tend to be much more slender and fly less frequently than the dragons of Vietnam, Korea, or China, which may cause the Japanese dragon to appear particularly serpentine. It has been suggested that European dragon be merged into this article or section. ... Japanese name Kanji: Hiragana: Romaji: Korean name Hangul: Hanja: Thai name Thai: Vietnamese name Quoc Ngu: Hantu: The Chinese dragon is a mythical Chinese creature that also appears in other East Asian cultures, and is also sometimes called the Oriental (or Eastern) dragon. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards and make it more accessible to a general audience, this article may require cleanup. ...

Japanese dragons share a close connection with water. Their association is focused primarily on the sea. This is a reflection of Japan's geography, as Japan is surrounded by the ocean on all four sides and is consequently less prone to drought than China.

Origin of ryū

The ryū in art can generally be distinguished from other East-Asian dragons in that it has only three toes, rather than the lóng's five or the yong's four.

Ryū originated from Buddhist religion and is one of the four divine beasts from Japanese mythology (the other three being the phoenix, turtle and tiger). It is frequently the emblem of the Emperor or the hero. The Japanese Emperor Hirohito traced his ancestry back 125 generations to Princess Fruitful Jewel, daughter of a Dragon King of the Sea.^{[citation needed]} A silhouette of Buddha at Ayutthaya, Thailand. ... Fenghuang sculpture, Nanning city, Guangxi, China. ... Emperor Shōwa ) (April 29, 1901 – January 7, 1989) was the 124th emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from December 25, 1926 until his death in 1989. ...

History of dragons in Japan

Dragon shrines and altars can still be seen in many parts of the Far East. They are usually along seashores and riverbanks, because most Eastern Dragons live in water. The Isle of the Temple, in Japan's Inland Sea, has become a famous stopover for pilgrims who meditate and pray to dragons. Descendants of the dragon became great rulers.

Dragon sculptures are also used to decorate the exterior of temples for Buddhists and Taoists of China, Korea, Vietnam and Japan. They represent the obstacles humans face throughout life that must first be overcome, before enlightenment can be attained. Taoism (Daoism) is the English name referring to a variety of related Chinese philosophical and religious traditions and concepts. ... Korea (Korean: 한국 in South Korea or 조선 in North Korea, see below) is a geographic area, civilization, and former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. ...

The Kinryū-no-Mai (Golden Dragon Dance), is held at the Sensoji Temple in Asakusa each spring. The dragon is taken through the grounds of the Sensoji in a parade and then into the temple. People throw money into a grate and touch the dragon for luck. After this the dragon is taken outside and there is a performance where the dragon twists and turns in front of the crowd. Sensoji Temple The Kaminarimon is the outer gate of the Sensoji, Asakusas famous temple. ...

This festival commemorates the discovery in 628 of the temple's gold Kannon, which is an image of the Goddess of Mercy, by two brothers who were fishing in the Sumida River. Legend says the discovery caused golden dragons to fly up to heaven. The dance is performed in celebration of this and to bring good fortune and prosperity. Kuan Yin (Pinyin: Guanyin; also written Kwan Yin or in other variants which hyphenate or remove the space between the two words) is the bodhisattva of compassion as venerated by East Asian Buddhists. ... The Sumida River flowing through Adachi, Tokyo The Sumida River (隅田川, Sumida-gawa) is a river which flows through Tokyo, Japan. ...

Dragons in Japanese mythology

In Japanese mythology, one of the first dragon-like creatures in is the Yamata-no-Orochi, an enormous girl-devouring serpent with eight heads and eight tails which was slain by Susanoo after Susanoo tricked the creature into becoming drunk on sake. Susanoo slaying the Yamata no Orochi, by Toyohara Chikanobu Orochi forwards here. ... Susanoo, (Japanese: 須佐之男命, Susa-no-O-no-Mikoto; also romanized as Susanoo, Susa-no-O, and Susanowo) in Shinto is the god of the sea and storms. ... Sake barrels at Itsukushima Shrine. ...

Dragons in later Japanese folklore were often much more benign, perhaps because of influence from Chinese culture. They appear in famous tales such as My Lord Bag of Rice, in which a hero must kill a giant centipede which is devouring the children of the dragon king of Lake Biwa. In Urashima Tarō, the title character rescues a turtle which turns out to be the daughter of Ryūjin, the dragon king of the ocean. Chinese Opera, one of the many aspects of traditional Chinese culture The Culture of China (Chinese: 中國文化/中国文化) is home to one of the worlds oldest and most complex civilizations covering a history of over 5,000 years. ... My Lord Bag of Rice is a Japanese fairy tale collected by Yei Theodora Ozaki in Japanese Fairy Tales. ... Lake Biwa ), formerly known as ÅŒmi Lake, is the largest fresh water lake in Japan, located in Shiga Prefecture (west-central Honshu), northeast of the former capital city of Kyoto. ... Urashima Tarō ) is a Japanese fairy tale about a fisherman who rescues a turtle and is rewarded with a visit to the RyÅ«gÅ«-jō, the Dragon Palace. ... RyÅ«jin (Japanese 龍神 dragon god, also known as Rinjin) was the god of the sea in Japanese mythology. ...

See also

• Japanese mythology

	Japanese Mythology & Folklore Japanese mythology is a very complex system of beliefs that embraces Shinto and Buddhist traditions as well as agriculture-based folk religion. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Amaterasu_cave_crop. ... Japanese mythology is a very complex system of beliefs that embraces Shinto and Buddhist traditions as well as agriculture-based folk religion. ... Japanese folklore is the folklore of Japan. ...
	Mythic Texts and Folktales: Kojiki | Nihon Shoki | Otogizōshi | Yotsuya Kaidan Urashima Tarō | Kintarō | Momotarō | Tamamo-no-Mae Divinities: Izanami | Izanagi | Amaterasu Susanoo | Ama-no-Uzume | Inari List of divinities | Kami | Seven Lucky Gods Legendary Creatures: Oni | Kappa | Tengu | Tanuki | Fox | Yōkai | Dragon Mythical and Sacred Locations: Mt. Hiei | Mt. Fuji | Izumo | Ryūgū-jō | Takamagahara | Yomi Kojiki or Furukotofumi (古事記), also known in English as the Records of Ancient Matters, is the oldest surviving historical book recounting events of ancient earth in the Japanese language. ... Nihonshoki (日本書紀) is the second oldest history book about the ancient history of Japan. ... Illustration from otogizōshi tale, published c. ... Yotsuya Kaidan (四つ谷怪談) is a Japanese ghost story. ... Urashima Tarō ) is a Japanese fairy tale about a fisherman who rescues a turtle and is rewarded with a visit to the RyÅ«gÅ«-jō, the Dragon Palace. ... This article is about the Japanese folklore hero; for the Mortal Kombat character, see Kintaro (Mortal Kombat character). ... Bisque doll of Momotarō Momotarō (桃太郎) is a hero from Japanese folklore. ... Tamamo-no-Mae (玉藻前) is a legendary figure in Japanese mythology. ... In Japanese mythology, Izanami (Katakana: イザナミ; Kanji: 伊弉冉尊 or 伊邪那美命, meaning She who invites) is a goddess of both creation and death, as well as the former wife of the god Izanagi. ... 天瓊を以て滄海を探るの図. Painting by Eitaku Kobayashi (Meiji period). ... The Sun goddess emerging out of a cave, bringing sunlight back to the universe. ... Susanoo, (Japanese: 須佐之男命, Susa-no-O-no-Mikoto; also romanized as Susanoo, Susa-no-O, and Susanowo) in Shinto is the god of the sea and storms. ... Categories: Stub | Japanese goddesses ... Inari and her fox spirits help the blacksmith Munechika forge the blade ko-kitsune-maru (Little Fox) in the late 10th century. ... This is a list of divinities native to Japanese beliefs and religious traditions. ... “Megami” redirects here. ... The seven fortune gods (七福神, shichi fukujin) in Japan refer to the seven gods of good fortune in Japanese folklore: ; . They are often the subject of netsuke carvings and other representations. ... A statue of a red oni wielding a tetsubo. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Tengu and a Buddhist monk, by Kawanabe Kyōsai. ... Pottery statue of tanuki Wild Tanuki Mt. ... Prince Hanzoku terrorized by a nine-tailed fox. ... ukiyo-e print of yōkai, by Aotoshi Matsui Yōkai apparitions, spirits, or demons, also romanized youkai, yokai, or yookai) are a class of obake, creatures in Japanese folklore (many with Chinese origins) ranging from the evil oni to the mischievous kitsune or snow woman Yuki-onna. ... Mount Hiei (Jp. ... Mount Fuji Mount Fuji , IPA: )   is the highest mountain in Japan. ... Izumo (Japanese: 出雲国; Izumo no kuni) was an old province of Japan which today consists of the eastern part of Shimane prefecture in the Chugoku region. ... In Japanese mythology, RyÅ«gÅ«-jō (竜宮城) is the undersea palace of RyÅ«jin, the dragon god of the sea. ... Takama-ga-hara (Japanese: 高天原), or The High Plain of Heaven, is a place in Japanese mythology. ... This article is about the location in japanese mythology. ...
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