Dragons in Popular Culture

Japanese myths have been adapted to popular culture over time. The story of the koi fish is just one of many stories that have become tradition. So much so it has achieved its own festival in Japan. It is a celebration during May each year of Kodomo no Hi, where they let Koi-nobori, or Carp streamers, fly about in celebration. This festival is one that is meant to show support and show the strength of young men and women, supporting them in their endeavors. While this is one form that this story has taken, the evolution of the koi into the dragon can also be seen in an animation that deals with evolution all the time; Pokémon. In the episode The Wacky Watcher in Season 2, where the main characters are told the story of some Magikarp being able climb the waterfall with such a feat of strength that they end up evolving into Gyarados. The Magikarp are the koi and the Gyarados are the dragons, showing that this ancient story has been adapted not only into modern day festivals, but into poplar shows as well. This is not the only animation that uses the dragon lore as a basis, there are many others that reference dragons as deities as well.

Dragons have such high fantasy elements to them that modern day animations tend to follow their historical roots. One such animated film would be Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away, which showcases many other Japanese mythical beings as well. This animated film has numerous showings of the true power of dragons and the gifts they can grant upon the mortal beings around them as well (Miyazaki). There is an instance within the film that deals with what they call a “stink spirit,” which the main character is forced to bathe. The spirit turns out to be a river god who had gotten overwhelmed by the modern worlds waste and gives Chihiro a gift for helping free him. This story alone exemplifies the horrible things that people have done to the environment in the modern age. All of which anger and harm these deities that were once worshipped and revered (Miyazaki). There are a number of stories where the dragon gods of different ponds and rivers got angry at the local townsfolk for dropping their trash in them over time, which can be seen in Sanshu kidan kohen. Visser mentions this on page 174 of his book, talking about the very “idea of causing rain by arousing dragons’ anger is quite Chinese,” but can be seen in a few stories about the Rope-Pond dragon woman.

Noriko Reider discusses Haku’s role, another main character within Spirited Away, in the film, speaking on the variety of roles he must play. The essay then leads to talking about his mirroring of Haku to Nigihayahi, Nigihayahi is supposed to be on the side of a man named Nagesunehiko, who opposed Emperor Jimmu. This man instead changes sides to the Emperor, thus allowing the defeat of the opposing lord; mirroring the event of Haku changing sides from Yubabba’s to Kamaji and Chihiro. Chihiro is able to save him from the path of evil due to her love for him, allowing him to find his name again and recall that he was once the Nigihayami kohakunushi river spirit (who happens to be a dragon in form). He got lost and came to the bathhouse because his river had been destroyed by modernization of the area. This way Miyazaki is speaking to both an ancient Japanese tale as well as the destructive power of modernization causing the near death of two dragon spirits.