In Japan, the dragon (Ryu) is not a scary, fire-breathing animal of destruction but rather a symbol of wisdom, strength, and protection. 

Dragons in Japanese folklore have been around since almost the dawn of time, it is believed to have been inspired by Chinese mythology, when buddhism was brought over to Japan from mainland Asia.

Since Japan is an island, Japanese dragons are usually depicted as sea serpents or surrounded by waves or clouds, but they are rarely in flight. 

During the Edo period, dragons became a common subject, often depicted battling rough seas or wrapped around mountains. 

In Japanese folklore and mythology, dragons have been divided into a colour wheel with each colour representing a different symbol:

• The green dragon represents nature and life 

• The blue dragon represents compassion and forgiveness 

• The black dragon represents wisdom achieved through experience 

• The red dragon represents strength, passion and power 

• The yellow dragon represents nobility and helping others

• The white dragon represents purity ands virtue 

Above all other dragons is the Ryujin, the dragon god, who lives in an underwater place and controls the tides as well as the rain and thunderstorms. Ryujin represents the balance between humans and nature. 

Japanese dragons make incredibly beautiful tattoos and, on the contrary to their traditional counterparts, do not have wings, have different shapes of claws and are slightly finer. 

As you can see from the photos, they work incredibly well as a back piece, but because they are an animal with a long, curved body, they work well on any part of the human body, similarly to the snake. 

If you would like to find out more about Japanese dragon tattoos here at Louielou Tattoo, press the book now button below!