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竜Dragon (ryū)

Dragon (ryū)
Mhdfattal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Japanese dragons (日本の竜/龍, Nihon no ryū) are diverse legendary creatures in Japanese mythology and folklore. Japanese dragon myths amalgamate native legends with imported stories about dragons from China, Korea and the Indian subcontinent. The style and appearance of the dragon was heavily influenced by the Chinese dragon, especially the three-clawed long (龍) dragons which were introduced in Japan from China in ancient times. Like these other East Asian dragons, most Japanese ones are water deities or kami associated with rainfall and bodies of water, and are typically depicted as large, wingless, serpentine creatures with clawed feet.

Text from Wikipedia: Japanese dragon — CC BY-SA 4.0. Read more on Wikipedia →

見Where to see it

Japan Tourism Agency explanations

旅Try it yourself: Dragon (ryū)

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問Questions visitors ask

What is Dragon (ryū)?

Japanese dragons (日本の竜/龍, Nihon no ryū) are diverse legendary creatures in Japanese mythology and folklore.

Where can I see Dragon (ryū)?

Places on Torii Guide where it is mentioned include: Ryōan-ji, Kongōbu-ji (Kōya-san).

守Guardians, charms & creatures

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