Origin, Mythology and Daily Life: Dragons in Japanese
Characters of Dragon in Japanese
Dragon is Ryu 龍 りゅう in Japanese. Other characters such as 竜 and 辰 are also used. In addition to “ryu,” it is also read as “tatsu.”
Why are there so many different ways to write the word “dragon”? What is a dragon in Eastern culture?
Dragon in Japanese || Origins of Dragons
Dragon in Japanese || Dragons in Everyday Life
Dragon in Japanese || FAQs
Dragon in Japanese || Origins of Dragons
It is said that dragons originated in China. Around 6,000 B.C., pottery and other artifacts with dragons were created. Ritual bronzes which were created 2,600 years ago with dragons on them have been found.
In ancient times, it was believed that rivers overflowed or typhoons came because the gods of the rivers and the sky were furious and raging.
It is likely that the wild and immense energy of nature was likened to the fictional mystical animal known as the dragon, which came to be thought of as the dragon god lurking in the great rivers. In the Han Dynasty, dragons came to be regarded as a symbol of the power to protect the emperor.
It is believed that dragons were introduced to Japan during the Yayoi period, and there are examples of dragons painted on Yayoi earthenware.
Dragons were also painted on wall paintings during the Kofun period (kohun – 古墳 こふん / burial mounds), for example, in the Takamatsuzuka burial mound in Nara Prefecture.
The Japanese belief in dragons is said to have been greatly influenced by Buddhism and India as well as China. It is said that “Naga,” which is regarded as the guardian deity of Buddhism, was translated as 龍 りゅう and thus came to be regarded as the same deity.
Naga is also a god in the form of a snake, and it is likely that the mystical appearance and power of the serpent was the source of the dragon in ancient times. Some believe that this “Naga” is also the origin of the word “snake.”
Before continuing with the story, let’s take a look at these Japanese names:
| JAPANESE | ROMAJI |
| 八岐大蛇 やまたのおろち | Yamata-no-orochi |
| 素戔嗚尊 すさのを スサノヲ | Susanowo |
| 天照大御神 あまてらす アマテラス | Amaterasu |
| 出雲 いずも | Izumo, Current Shimane Prefecture |
| 櫛名田比売 くしなだひめ クシナダヒメ | Kushinada-hime |
In Japanese mythology, the anecdote of Yamata-no-orochi is well known. Susanowo, born of Amaterasu, was banished from the heavenly realm and descended to Izumo.
There, Susanowo meets a woman named Kushinada-hime. The Yamata-no-orochi, a serpent with eight heads and eight tails, had been kidnapping and eating young girls in the Land of Izumo, and Kushinada-hime was to be offered as a sacrifice that year.
Susanowo exterminates Yamata-no-orochi on the condition that he marries Kushinada-hime.
| JAPANESE | ENGLISH |
| 草薙剣 くさなぎのつるぎ | Kusanagi Sword |
| 三種の神器 さんしゅ [じんぎ] | The three sacred weapons |
| 熱田神宮 あつたじんぐう | Atsuta Shrine |
| 劉邦 りゅうほう | Liu Bang |
| 漢王朝 かんおうちょう | The Han Dynasty |
The tail of the Yamata-no-orochi was cut off and out came the Kusanagi Sword, which is considered one of the three sacred weapons.
Today, this Kusanagi Sword is enshrined at Atsuta Shrine in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture.
In China, it became a symbol of the emperor because Liu Bang, who founded the Han Dynasty, was born after his mother saw a dragon.
In Japan, it is said that one of the three sacred weapons symbolizing the authority of the emperor came from the tail of a giant snake.
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Dragon in Japanese || Dragons in Everyday Life
There are three characters that represent dragons: 龍,竜,辰.
Of these, 竜 is a simplified version of 龍.
What is 辰? This is the character used in the twelve Chinese zodiac signs.
What are the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac? This is an astronomical term coined during the Shang Dynasty in ancient China.
Jupiter has an orbital period of 11.86 years, or about 12 years. It is divided into 12 segments and named according to its position in the sky. Since formal names are difficult to use, 12 different animals are assigned to it for the general public.
十二支
じゅうにしjyunishi
The twelve zodiac signs
Since the letter the dragon assigned to was “辰,” this was also considered to represent a dragon. There are theories that “辰” represented the movement of thunder during the farming season, or that it was a Chinese character for the shape of plants and trees.
Here is the order of the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac:
| JAPANESE | HIRAGANA | ROMAJI | ENGLISH |
| 子 | ね | ne | the Rat |
| 丑 | うし | ushi | the Ox |
| 寅 | とら | tora | the Tiger |
| 卯 | う | u | the Hare |
| 辰 | たつ | tatsu | the Dragon |
| 未 | み | mi | the Serpent |
| 午 | うま | uma | the Horse |
| 未 | ひつじ | hitsuji | the Sheep |
| 申 | さる | saru | the Monkey |
| 酉 | とり | toti | the Rooster |
| 戌 | いぬ | inu | the Dog |
| 亥 | い | i | the Boar |
In addition to these, there are also what are called the ten heavenly stems. The ten heavenly stems are:
| JAPANESE | HIRAGANA | ROMAJI |
| 十干 | じっかん | jikkan |
| 甲 | きのえ | kinoe |
| 乙 | きのと | kinoto |
| 丙 | ひのえ | hinoe |
| 丁 | ひのと | hinoto |
| 戊 | つちのえ | tsuchinoe |
| 巳 | つちのと | tsuchinoto |
| 庚 | かのえ | kanoe |
| 辛 | かのと | kanoto |
| 壬 | みずのえ | mizunoe |
| 癸 | みずのと | mizunoto |
In Shang dynasty China, it was believed that there were ten suns that rose each day in turn. The names given to each of these suns were the ten heavenly stems.
It is said that one day all ten suns rose at once and became so hot. A skilled archer shot down nine of them, thus leaving a single sun.
In Japan, people celebrate the kanreki when they reach the age of 60. Kanreki means the calendar turns around.
The number 60 is the least common multiple of 10 heavenly stems and 12 signs of Chinese zodiac, and each of these 60 has its own name combining them, which is called “kanshi.”
Since kanshi comes full circle in 60 years, a sixty-year-old is particularly called “kanreki.” Each of those 60 years has a unique name.
For example, Koshien Park, where high school baseball games are played in Japan, was named after the year Koshi, which is one of the 60. The year Koushien was built was the year of Koshi, so the park is named Koushien( “en” means a park.”)
The others are kanoe-uma, mizunoe-saru, and so on. The names are also used in many historical terms.
還暦
Kanreki還 means turning around
暦 means calendars
干支
kanshi60 different, circulating names of the year
甲子
Koshione of 60 kanshi
庚午
Kanoe-umaone of 60 kanshi
壬申
Mizunoe-saruone of 60 kanshi
Rather than kanshi, Japanese people often remember the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac for the year they were born.
For example, the year 2024 is the year of the dragon, so people born in 2012, 2000…etc. are also called “people of the year of the dragon.”
It is common for New Year’s cards to have illustrations featuring the animals of the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac for that year.
As we have seen above, dragons play a major role in Japanese daily life and mythology. You will have learned that it is also important for understanding myths and customs.
That is all for this article. Keep up the good work on your studies!
Do you know any stories about dragons in Japan? Share with us here!
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Dragon in Japanese || FAQs
How do you say a dragon in Japanese?
In Japanese, a dragon is “龍[りゅう]ryuu”.
What is the difference between “龍” and “竜”?
“竜” is a simplified form of “龍”.
Why do people celebrate the age of 60 in Japan?
In Japan, the calendar completes a full cycle in 60 years, so we celebrate the turning of the calendar.
What are 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac?
This is an astronomical term coined during the Shang Dynasty in ancient China. Jupiter has an orbital period of 11.86 years, or about 12 years. It is divided into 12 segments and named according to its position in the sky.
What are 10 heavenly stems?
In Shang dynasty China, it was believed that there were ten suns that rose each day in turn. The names given to each of these suns were the ten heavenly stems.
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