Noren -龍- Japanese curtain

Roketsuzome Noren Reflecting Kyoto’s Tradition and Reverence for the Dragon Deity

Created with roketsuzome, this noren depicts a dragon soaring across the fabric. In Japan, the dragon’s presence is woven into nature worship, mythology, religion, and art, making it an enduring cultural symbol.

Closely associated with water, the dragon serves as a guardian of rivers, rain, and agricultural abundance. Mythic tales—from Susanoo’s defeat of the eight-headed serpent Yamata-no-Orochi to the Dragon Palace legend of Urashima Tarō—cast the dragon as both a manifestation of nature’s power and a trial to be overcome.

In Buddhism, figures such as the Hachidai Ryūō (Eight Dragon Kings) and Ryūjin protect the Dharma and summon rain, while Shintō venerates the dragon as a water kami. Artistically, dragons appear in temple ceiling murals like Unryū-zu (“Cloud Dragon Paintings”) and in the ornamentation of crafts and weaponry, embodying strength and mystery.

Across these contexts, the dragon symbolizes awe-inspired harmony with nature and is deeply embedded in Japan’s cultural and spiritual heritage.