Ryuto Dragon Lantern legend

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. Japanese legends and tales 伝説 民話 昔話 - Introduction .
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ryuutoo 龍燈 / 龍灯 / 竜灯 と伝説 Legends about Ryuto, "Dragon Lantern"

A phenomenon at the Ariakekai sea in Kagoshima, Kyushu, in the evening hours.
It is also seen in other parts of Japan as a light that the Dragon God sends out to honor the deities of Shinto and Buddhism in Japan.


source :　龍燈、龍灯、竜灯- wikipedia


. shinka 神火と伝説 Legends about　"divine fire" .
shinka 神火 / シンカ "fire of the gods", "light of the gods"
- Introduction -


. hitodama 人魂 / 人玉 spirit of a dead person, "soul flame" .
tamabi 魂火 fireball of a soul, human fireball


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. Matsuo Basho 松尾芭蕉 .

五月雨や龍燈あぐる番太郎
samidare ya ryuutoo aguru Bantaroo

samidare rain -
the "Dragon Lantern" shines
from the flood warden's hut


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.................................................................................... Ehime 愛媛県

Masaki 玉松山金蓮寺 Konren-Ji

ryuutoo Yakushi 龍灯薬師 Yakushi of the Dragon Lantern

Once upon a time
the fishermen of Masaki went out to the sea for fishing, when the weather suddenly turned bad. They tried to get back to land as fast as they could, but the strong wind and currents drifted the boat further out to sea. The fishermen rowed the boat with all their might, but eventually lost all their strength and just sang the Amida prayer:
「南無阿弥陀仏。南無阿弥陀仏。」 Namu Amida Butsu, Namu Amida Butsu.

Suddenly they saw a light on the horizon, and then one more, and one more. They rowed the boat toward that light in hope for help. The three lights kept flickering as if they wanted to encourage the fishermen to do their best. This light came, in fact, from a pine tree in the compound of the temple.


source and more photos : blog.livedoor.jp/awatennbou/archives

ryuutoo no matsu 龍灯のマツ the Dragon Lamp Pine

The fishermen rowed faster and faster to reach this light and finally came to the beach.
"Thanks to the Buddha from temple Konren-Ji. Let us give thanks and pray!"
The fishermen stood in front of the pine and looked up to see the light again, but now all was dark.

"This must have been a dragon dancing and thus bringing light to the sea of Masaki!"

Eventually years later in a storm this pine tree broke down, but before it died, the fishermen took a branch and planted it anew. And to their surprize the new tree had three main stems. Thus they understood that this pine tree was the dancing dragon.
The tree we can see now is a much later generation.

. Iyo 12 Yakushi Temples, Shikoku 伊予十二薬師霊場 .




.................................................................................... Fukui 福井県

. Eboshiiwa 烏帽子岩 Eboshi Rock at 天王村 Tenno village .

. Saint Zenkai 禅海上人 coming on a turtle .

. tamabi 魂火 soul fire at 敦賀 Tsuruga .





.................................................................................... Ibaraki 茨城県

In 茨城町 Ibaraki village
Once there was a Dragon Light. Since this was the place where the Dragon rested, people built a temple hall and venerated 弁天様 Benten there.




.................................................................................... Kagawa 香川県

One of the seven wonders of Sanuki 讃岐の七不思議:

At 白鳥村 Shirotorimura, sometimes a Dragon Light can be seen, and there is a pine tree named after it.
龍頭の松 (竜燈の松) Ryuto no Matsu.



.................................................................................... Kanagawa 神奈川県

ryuutooboku 龍灯木 / 龍灯樹 "Dragon Light Tree"

At 浦賀町 Uraga, at the temple 信誠寺 Shinjo-Ji there is a stone memorial for a this tree.
Once upon a time there a large tree had grown there and every night a light shone from its top to show the way to the fishermen. People think it was a dragon from the see who had come to rest there.


.................................................................................... Miyagi 宮城県

At 石巻市 Ishinomaki there is a small peninsula called 三石崎 Mitsuishi Misaki, where three huge boulders are located. The wooden statue of Kannon with Eleven Faces was drifted ashore there at 給分浜 Kyobunhama and for many years a Dragon Light was seen there.


source : www.i-kanko.com/archives




.................................................................................... Tokyo 東京
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葛飾区　Katsushika ward

. Katsushika village 木下川浄光寺 .

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Kōtō 江東区 Koto ward, "East River"

. Ryuto and Kobo Daishi .


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- reference : nichibun yokai database 妖怪データベース -
龍燈 27 to explore
龍灯 5 to explore
竜灯 12 to explore

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. animals and their legends 動物と伝説 - - ABC list .

. plants and their legends 　植物と伝説 - - ABC list .

. trees and their legends 　樹木, 木と伝説 - - ABC list .

. Persons, People, Personen and their legends - - ABC list .

. Legends about Kobo Daishi Kukai - 弘法大師　空海 - 伝説 .

. Japanese legends and tales 伝説　民話　昔話 - Introduction .

- Yookai 妖怪 Yokai Monsters of Japan -
- Introduction -

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