What is Hitobudo?
What is Hitofudoryu?
As the name suggests, the dragon's body is drawn in one continuous stroke, and it is said to "connect people" and "ensure unbroken ties," and has been treasured as a lucky charm since the Edo period.
It is also said that the wish-granting jewel held by the dragon will grant people's wishes and bring them health and happiness.
It is said that the Japanese archipelago itself is shaped like a dragon, and since ancient times it has been enshrined in shrines and temples as a god of bountiful harvests.
Sakurarindo's single-stroke dragons are drawn with sincerity, with the rising dragon as a prayer for the fulfillment of wishes, and the downward-facing dragon as a prayer for protection and warding off evil.
Dragon painters from around the country
Since ancient times, there have been artists all over Japan who paint dragons with a single stroke of the brush.
Osaka, Saga, Nikko, Kyoto... Various historical works remain in shrines and temples.
A single-stroke dragon painted in Osaka about 80 years ago and a dragon painted in Kyoto 30 years ago.
There are also statues such as the One-stroke Dragon, giving you a sense of the depth of history.
What is a Japanese dragon?
The dragon is said to represent the shape of the Japanese archipelago, and since ancient times it has been considered a mysterious land where dragons reside.
Furthermore, since the Jomon and Yayoi periods, he has been worshipped as a water god who brings the rain necessary for rice, which is a part of the hearts of the Japanese people.
Shrines are dedicated to rice, and rice husks (straw) are tied together in endless rows and carefully presented as shimenawa ropes. In addition, there is always a dragon figure at shrines. This is because the dragon represents bountiful harvests and is the god of water that brings the blessed rain that is essential for rice.
Another important thing for rice is thunder, which purifies the air. The Japanese character for thunder is written with the characters for "rain" and "rice field," which shows the deep connection between thunder and rice paddies.
Furthermore, something stronger than thunder is called lightning, which is also written as the "wife" of rice, and has long been considered an indispensable and irreplaceable element for rice.
The thunder and lightning that occur when the dragon descends are said to bring rain that is a blessing for the rice, and in addition to purifying the air, the electricity from heaven is said to reduce oxidation in the air all at once, purifying it.
Rice receives energy from heaven through this. In fact, it is said that if there is a lot of thunder in the summer, there will be a good harvest. It is the "dragon" that travels across time and space that brings this important "thunder" and "lightning."
This is why Teshima's single-stroke dragon paintings often feature lightning bolts and water splashes.
The character "wa" (和), which represents Japan, is written with the character for rice and the character for mouth, and represents a people who eat rice. The color of the rice ears is also what led to the name "ZIPANG," the country of gold. The skin color of the Asian race is also said to be the color of rice.
Rice is the soul of the Japanese people, our DNA, and our life.
For this reason, the dragon, which grows rice and is the root of the Japanese people, is deeply held in the hearts of the Japanese as a lucky charm, and the dragon god is in the hearts of the Japanese people.