Japanese mythology includes a vast number of gods, goddesses, and spirits. Most of the stories concern the creation of the world, the foundation of the islands of Japan, and the activities of deities, humans, animals, spirits, and magical creatures...
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Ryūjin, also known as Ōwatatsumi, is the deity of the sea in Japanese mythology. This Japanese dragon, symbolized by the power of the ocean, had a large mouth and was able to transform into a human shape. Ryūjin lives in a palace under the sea built out of red and white coral, from where he controls the tides with magical jewels. He was the father of the beautiful goddess Otohime who married the hunter prince Hoori. The first Emperor of Japan is said to have been a grandson of Otohime and Hoori’s. Thus, Ryujin is said to be one of the ancestors of the Japanese imperial dynasty.
