Last Update: 17 December 2003
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General Notes
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General Notes on Japanese Dragons
  • Much that applies to Chinese Dragons also applies here. Please see Chinese Dragons for more information
  • Not all dragons are good. Nor are all dragons evil
  • Emperor Hirohito traced his roots back 125 generations to the daughter of the Dragon King, Princess Fruitfull Jewel
  • P'an lung in Japan are oiled dragons that have ascended to Heaven
  • Japanese dragons take the form of a white eel and will draw blood from horses if they cross water
  • Palace of the dragon king may be located under an island and sometimes a red light can be seen above it.
  • Wandering lights, sometimes seen on the mountains, were cause by dragons
  • Pine trees are sometimes associated - "By night 'dragon lanterns' (gnis fatuus) is seen on pine trees and ship masts" (China and Japan, pg 83)
  • Viewing the whole dragon means immediate death
  • Japanese emperors routinely hid their dragonish faces from their subject behind bamboo screens
  • It's ability to adapt is symbolic of the continual changability of the world
  • Generally considered to have been real at some point - moreso than the Chinese versions
  • It's pearl can symbolized the moon with lightening and thunder
  • Emperor Hirohito could trace his ancestry to the Dragon King's daughter, Princess Fruitfull Jewel - over 125 generations
General Physiology and Description
  • Generally have 3 claws
  • No specifically "Japanese" description is given. It is assumed to be close to the Chinese version.
  • Has spines along it's back - sometimes in a single row, sometimes in a double row
  • Have a pear-shaped pearl on it's forehead
Clutches Generally, dragons have 9 hatchlings in each clutch:
  • 1 - sings and is displayed on bells
  • 2 - involved with music and appear on drums and harps
  • 3 - drinks alot and shows up on cups
  • 4 - likes to sleep in dangerous places, including towers and beams
  • 5 - likes killing and is engraved on swords
  • 6 - prefers books and learning and so is printed in books
  • 7 - is known for hearing
  • 8 - is a real couch potatoe and likes easy chairs
  • 9 - is strong and bears weight - so he is on table legs, etc.
Types, Names, and Classifications Note: There is no particular order to this section.
  • Celestial Dragons = personification of clouds
  • Dragon Kings of Japan
  • Violet Dragons = spit becomes crystals
  • White Dragons = breath is gold
  • Water Dragons cause rain, but when it's sick the rain can be "fishy"
  • Fire Dragons - 7 feet of flames
  • Also: Yellow, Green, Red, and Flying
Combinations
  • Dragon + Cow = Kirin
  • Dragon + Swine = Elephant
  • Dragon + mare = Steed
Life Cycle As Explained by Shuiki
  • 1-499 yrs - Water Snake
  • 500-999 yrs - kiao
  • 1000-1499 yrs - kiao-lung (dragons with fish scales)
  • 1500-2499 yrs - kioh-lung (dragons with horns)
  • 2500-death - P'an lung in Japan are coiled dragons that have to ascended to heaven
Other Sources say the Japanese dragons only have an incubation period of 1000 years, in the sea

Symbolism
  • Wisdom
  • Fertility
Sources of the Myth
  • Ko-ji-ki: AD 712, Shinto in Japanese
  • Nihon-gi: AD 720 in Chinese

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