What Is the Dragon in Japan?

Water, Prayer, Stories, and the Dragon Enshrined at an Iwato Cave on Awaji Island

When people hear the English word “dragon,” many may imagine a giant monster that breathes fire, an enemy slain by a knight, or a fearsome creature guarding treasure.

The Japanese word ryū（龍）overlaps with that image in some ways, but it also has a different cultural breadth. In Japan, dragons have often been connected with water. Rain, clouds, rivers, ponds, lakes, and the sea. Water is necessary for human life, yet at times it cannot be stopped by human power. Japanese people have projected both sides of water’s power onto the form of the dragon.