Dragons in Japanese Culture

Dragons also serve as omens of both good and ill. Dragons do not care whether their quarrels cause issues for the smaller beings who are beneath them, this is why fighting dragons are ascribed to creating tempests, thunderstorms, and floods. These floods and other natural disasters are seen as being connected to something bad going to occur within the world, an omen that the people were doing something wrong that could be the cause of the dragons fighting. In the context of omens, the color of the dragon is significant. Yellow, azure, and black dragons tend to be good omens, red and green dragons tend to bode ill. Two of the worst omens are the appearance of a dragon at the wrong time or a dead dragon. Such omens portend change in the tides of a battle or the deaths of those in power (Visser 47-52).

The cultural impact of dragons is far reaching in every culture that accepts them. With these dragons affecting the weather, and therefore the societies below them, there is the possibility of them causing floods, thunderstorms, and other natural disasters. While this is one way of seeing them, another is that they can bring about rain storms in times of drought and other positive environmental impacts (Visser 140). There are several other connections between Chinese dragons, the Indian dragons, and the Japanese dragons. One of these is the belief in a Dragon-King palace, this is seen in Chinese mythology in the Luh I ki where there is an island described that could not be reached by boat and that it “lies above the water, red like the sun.” This island is very similar to that of those found in Indian mythology of the Nāga palace. This palace is a foundation for much of the Naga and dragon mythology within both Japanese and Indian cultures. It is where these Naga keep themselves hidden from the world of humans and is the source of a large portion of their power.

While dragons in Chinese culture are almost exclusively connected to water alone, Japanese dragons are associated with water, mountains, and the sky. For example, the Nihongi and Kojiki describe the birth of Yamatsumi, Mitsuha, Watatsumi, Mizuchi, and Oho-watatsumi. These dragon gods are said to protect the sea, the rivers, the lakes, and mountains. With Yamaysumi, “Lord of the Dark Mountains,” and Mitsuha, Valley water snake,” specifically lording over the mountains (Visser 136). These dragon gods in particular were thought to be the source of many winter storms and deaths of travelers throughout Japans numerous mountain ranges. Though they were also considred to be good omens if travelers saw them along their way, meaning that they would make it through without harm. Having both of these ideas intertwine creates a dynamic with these gods and the Japanese people that holds them in high reverence (Visser 137-138). But none of the aforementioned dragon gods are thought of in as high a regard or have as many stories told about them as the Wani.