MY ENCOUNTER WITH THE DRAGONS Part 8

I recently experienced something of a revelation.

From time to time, I guide foreign tourists and take them to visit, among other places, the main shrines of the city of Shizuoka—most notably Sengen Shrine and Tōshō-gū Shrine, which houses the mausoleum of the famous shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu.

After more than half a century spent in Shizuoka, my curiosity has been finally awakened by the place occupied by the dragon in Japanese culture, particularly within Shinto and Buddhist religions, and I felt the desire to learn more about it.

Of course, I had already visited these two shrines many times. Each time I passed beneath the great entrance gate (the Zuijin-mon), I noticed the magnificent dragon carved on the upper lintel.

Yet until then, I had never attached any particular importance to it, beyond explaining the carving technique to the tourists I was accompanying.

Please also check out this collaboration page!!

(Roger•Voltz)

Part 8

The Most Famous Painted Dragons of Japan
Below is a selection of the most celebrated painted dragons found across the Japanese archipelago.

Most of them are located in major Zen temples in Kyoto and Kamakura, where the dragon protects the teaching hall (Hattō) and embodies the energy of awakening.