A river flowing through Fukui Prefecture. Its name ("nine-headed dragon") is said to come from the Hakusan deity of Heisenji Temple, linked to Taicho, who opened Mount Haku, appearing in the form of a nine-headed dragon.
Legend Site
Kuzuryu River
Please note Trespassing on private property or restricted areas is prohibited by law. Please be considerate of local residents.
Positions on the map are a rough guide to the area where a legend or sighting is set. Most pins are placed at representative points of a municipality or prefecture (outside Japan, a city position rounded to about 10 km, or the country), not at the exact place.
Municipality points: Geolonia address data (CC BY 4.0), based on the Address Base Registry (Digital Agency of Japan) / Country points: Natural Earth
| Encyclopedia | Ryu (Japanese Dragon) |
|---|---|
| Location | Fukui |
| Type of place | River |
| Map position | Approximate position (Prefecture), not the exact place |
A sacred creature with a long, snake-like body, horns and scales that governs water and rain. It came to Japan from China, where belief in the dragon god Ryujin, master of lakes, rivers and ponds, took deep root.