Ryūjin or Ryōjin (龍神 "dragon god"), also known as Ōwatatsumi, was the tutelary deity of the sea in Japanese mythology. This Japanese dragon symbolized the power of the ocean, had a large mouth, and was able to transform into a human shape.
Ryūjin lived in Ryūgū-jō, his palace under the sea built out of red and white coral, from where he controlled the tides with magical tide jewels. Sea turtles, fish and jellyfish are often depicted as Ryūjin's servants.
Ryūjin was the father of the beautiful goddess Otohime who married the hunter prince Hoori. The first Emperor of Japan, Emperor Jimmu,
is said to have been a grandson of Otohime and Hoori's. Thus, Ryūjin is
said to be one of the ancestors of the Japanese imperial dynasty.
Ryūjin shinkō (竜神信仰 "dragon god faith") is a form of Shinto religious belief that worships dragons as water kami. It is connected with agricultural rituals, rain prayers, and the success of fishermen.
In Japanese folklore, Ryūgū-jō (竜宮城/龍宮城)(lit. dragon's palace castle) is the undersea palace of Ryūjin, the dragon god of the sea. The most famous legend about the palace concerns Urashima Tarō's visit to Ryūgū-jō for three days.[1]
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