日本の龍の霊性Japanese Ryu Spirituality

Since ancient times in Japan, there has been a spiritual belief in “ryu” (龍, beings perceived as “dragons” in Western culture), divine beings believed to govern water and rain. Their image has long been closely linked with clouds and wind, becoming deeply embedded in Japanese spiritual practice. As illustrated by the ancient Chinese classic, the I Ching (易経), which states, “Clouds follow the ryu, wind follows the tiger,” it was traditionally believed that when a ryu ascends to the sky, clouds gather and blessed rain for agriculture will fall. Furthermore, ryu were thought to reside in bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, and seas, and rituals praying to ryu for rain during droughts were frequently performed throughout history. Folklore across Japan consistently depicts ryu as guardian deities who calm floods and droughts, ensuring abundant rainfall.

However, the ryu belief in its contemporary form in Japan truly originated around the Yayoi period (around 300 BCE–300 CE), after ryu imagery was introduced from China. Prior to that, during the earlier Jomon period (approx. 14,000–300 BCE), the foundation of ryu worship was nature-based reverence, specifically toward snakes. Snakes, creatures thriving in wetlands, were seen by the Jomon people as emissaries or manifestations of water deities. Given that the Jomon culture primarily engaged in hunting and gathering rather than widespread agriculture, snake worship was strongly associated with the sacredness of life-giving rivers and water sources. By the late Yayoi period, however, continental Chinese ryu imagery merged with these indigenous snake-based water deities. Thus, Japanese myths and legends often depict a unique fusion of ryu and serpent symbolism. Simplifying slightly, one could view this distinction as “Jomon tradition = snake,” and “Yayoi tradition = ryu.” From the agriculturally thriving Yayoi era onward, the image of ryu as “spirits of water” became deeply rooted in Japanese spiritual and cultural life, becoming indispensable figures in religious belief.

For instance, in Shinto, ryu represent benevolent kami who bring life-giving water and rain, but simultaneously embody the terrifying power of nature manifested in floods and storms. A notable example from Japan’s earliest mythology is the eight-headed serpent known as “Yamata no Orochi (八岐大蛇)”, depicted in the Kojiki (Japan’s oldest written record from 712 CE). Generally, Yamata no Orochi is interpreted as the deification of a massive serpent (ryu) symbolizing frequent river flooding. Through my own continued research, however, I suggest the symbolism of Yamata no Orochi is complex and multilayered. While I intend to explore this deeper in future writings, it also appears to symbolize specific tribal groups. The Kojiki myth recounts how this serpent-deity was defeated by the heroic kami Susanoo (須佐之男命), a narrative often understood metaphorically as the implementation of flood control along troublesome rivers.

Such myths and legends have parallels throughout Japan in various ryu narratives, in which violent ryu are subdued by ascetics (particularly Shugendo practitioners) and subsequently transformed into guardian deities. A well-known instance is from the Nara period (710–794 CE), involving the nine-headed poisonous ryu (“Kuzuryu,” 九頭龍) living in Lake Ashi, which terrorized local people. It was eventually pacified by Mangan Shonin (a Buddhist monk active around the 8th century) who followed the combined Shinto-Buddhist doctrine (Shinbutsu-shugo). Subsequently, the Kuzuryu was enshrined as Kuzuryu Okami (九頭龍大神), the guardian deity of Lake Ashi. This particular Kuzuryu, literally a “nine-headed ryu,” seems to stem from a different mythical lineage than the eight-headed Yamata no Orochi. The Kuzuryu, affectionately called “Ryujin-sama” (龍神さま, “Honorable Ryu Deity”), is widely revered even today, with Kuzuryu Shrine (箱根九頭龍神社) established on the shores of Lake Ashi.

Worship of Kuzuryu continues extensively across Japan. Prominent examples include Kuzuryu Shrine (九頭竜神社) located along Kuzuryu River (九頭竜川) in Ono City, Fukui Prefecture, and Kuzuryu Lake (九頭竜湖) in the same region. The shrine in the river’s upper reaches commemorates legends praising the ryu deity’s role in controlling the river and enriching the surrounding lands. Another significant site is Shirayama Hime Shrine (白山比咩神社) in Hakusan City, Ishikawa Prefecture, the head shrine of approximately 2,700 shrines nationwide devoted to Hakusan worship (白山信仰). Here, Kuzuryu Gongen (九頭竜権現) is enshrined and identified with Hakusan Gongen (白山権現). This shrine is historically intertwined with Shugendo practices tracing back to En no Ozunu, blending mountain ascetic rituals and ryu worship. Kuzuryu-ji Temple (九頭竜寺) in Maibara City, Shiga Prefecture, enshrines Kuzuryu Gongen as its principal deity and has historically been revered for protecting local water sources and farmland. This particular temple strongly retains elements of Shinbutsu-shugo, uniquely merging Kuzuryu with the Buddhist deity Kannon Bosatsu (観音菩薩). Such ryu worship exists in countless variations nationwide, and personally, I frequently visit various ryu-sacred sites to offer prayers. Often, ryu worship symbolizes crucial issues such as flood control and regional unity, deeply linked to agricultural prosperity and rain rituals.

Throughout Japan, shrines commonly revere ryu as water deities, praying for protection from disasters, not limited to flooding alone. For instance, at shrines visitors first approach a purification basin known as “Chozuya”, where water frequently flows from a ryu-shaped sculpture, signifying ryu’s role as a water-controlling deity. Despite foreign influences, indigenous ryu worship in Japan merged seamlessly with existing nature reverence, creating a unique religious culture intertwined closely with daily life.

Following Buddhism’s introduction, Japan’s perception of ryu gained further complexity. Indian serpent-deities known as Naga, revered as sacred cobras, were absorbed by Buddhism as protectors of the Dharma, later transmitted to Japan via China as “Ryuo” (龍王, Ryu kings). Buddhist scriptures frequently depict ryu figures like “Hachidai Ryuo” (八大龍王, Eight Great Ryu Kings), revered as divine entities controlling water, rain, and protecting humans from natural disasters. Although closely related to native Shinto ryu worship, Buddhist influence heightened ryu’s religious prominence, particularly evident during drought rituals and prayers for flood protection invoking Ryuo. During the Heian period (794–1185), esoteric Buddhist rituals prominently featured ryu. A famous legend recounts how Kukai (774–835), founder of Shingon Buddhism, invoked Zennyo Ryuo (善女龍王), a goddess-like ryu, demonstrating miraculous powers during prayers for rain. From medieval times onward, vast “Unryu-zu” (雲龍図, Cloud Ryu murals) adorned Zen temples, significantly influencing Japanese art.

The reason ryu images graced Zen temple ceilings was their role as one of the “Hachibushu” (八部衆, Eight Classes of Dharma Protectors)—specifically “Tenryu” (天竜)—believed capable of bestowing Dharma rain (“Hou,” 法雨) symbolic of spreading Buddhist teachings. Additionally, ryu imagery was intended to protect temples from fire, leveraging ryu’s association with water. The magnificent Unryu-zu ceiling murals at temples like Tenryu-ji and Kennin-ji in Kyoto evoke profound awe, deeply infused with religious devotion. Moreover, ryu frequently appear in Buddhist art and architecture, adorning temple beams and doors, symbolizing divine protection and sanctity. Buddhist traditions thus portray ryu as benevolent guardians granting rainfall and divine benefits.

However, even more significant than Buddhism for Japan’s concept of ryu is the influence from Chinese Taoism and Yin-Yang Five Elements philosophy. Historically in China, ryu were worshipped as guardians of the five directions (“Goryu,” 五龍), eventually evolving into purified symbols of imperial authority. Beliefs in the “Seiryu” (青龍), the guardian of the East, and “Goryushin” (五龍神), the deities governing rain, were transmitted to Japan, where they became embedded into the Yin-Yang practices (Onmyodo, 陰陽道) and Feng Shui (風水) traditions that developed prominently during the Heian period. Particularly in Kyoto’s ancient capital, Heian-kyo, which was established according to the auspicious geomantic concept known as “Shijin-soo-no-chi” (四神相応の地, land harmonious with the Four Divine Beasts), the Seiryu as the Eastern guardian was symbolically represented by the flow of the Kamo River, believed to provide vitality and blessings to the city. Thus, even the selection of land for imperial relocations (Sengu) considered the presence of the ryu.

Even today at Kyoto’s Kiyomizu-dera Temple, the traditional “Seiryu-e” (青龍会) is held annually on March 15th, April 3rd, and October 15th, during which a Seiryu, considered an incarnation of the bodhisattva Kannon (観音菩薩), is paraded through the temple precincts as a guardian deity protecting the local area. This event exemplifies how the Chinese-derived Seiryu belief has been vividly integrated into Japanese culture with strong regional characteristics. Similarly, in Ryukyu (present-day Okinawa), influenced by Chinese traditions, there was a custom of erecting ryu-shaped pillars at the gates of royal castles to ward off evil spirits, symbolizing ryu as protectors of royal authority. Thus, Taoist-inspired ryu divinity in Japan has merged harmoniously with Onmyodo and popular folk beliefs, functioning as symbols praying for directional protection and national peace. It is clear from this how ryu, a deity common across East Asia, evolved in Japan by blending with indigenous beliefs and acquiring a multilayered symbolic significance.

As illustrated above, the spiritual imagery of ryu in Japanese culture is a fascinating entity formed through a remix of diverse symbolic meanings, intertwining indigenous nature worship and Shinto-based water deity beliefs with the influences of Buddhism and Taoism. When tracing this history, ryu emerges as an intimate guardian deity familiar to agricultural communities, governing rain and water, while simultaneously embodying a transcendent being supporting imperial authority and Buddhist teachings. Furthermore, ryu frequently appear as symbols representing awe and romantic fascination with the supernatural world (Ikai, 異界). For Japanese people, therefore, ryu are not merely imaginary creatures. Instead, they occupy a special place as spiritual symbols connecting the natural world with human society. The rich historical evolution of their imagery not only reflects the multilayered nature of Japan’s religious culture but also conveys a sensibility that deeply respects and seeks harmony with nature—a sensibility that continues to be expressed to this day.