Kinryu no Mai - The Golden Dragon Dance
- April Dykes
- 3月18日
- 読了時間: 4分
If the imagery of a golden dragon sounds interesting, you should check out Kinryu no Mai, the golden dragon dance, on March 18th. Kinryu no Mai is part of a bigger celebration called Hozon jigen-e that takes place at the famous Sensoji temple in Tokyo.
“A honzon (本尊) is the main idol of a Buddhist temple, jigen (示現) means the appearance of a deity or its supernatural power, and e (会) is a suffix which is used to form the name of a Buddhist ceremony” (Visiting-Japan). Japan, a nation with deep Buddhist roots, didn’t always have those roots. Though history can’t pinpoint it exactly, Buddhism made its way to Japan in the 500’s. Since then, it has worked to find its current balance with Shintoism.
In the early stages of its introduction to Japan, a Buddhist statue made a big splash and a lasting impression. By the 600s, knowledge of Buddhism and its statues was becoming more common throughout different parts of Japan. According to the legend, the event that shaped the history of Sensoji took place on March 18, 628.
“One morning, fisherman brothers named Hinokuma Hamanari and Hinokuma Takenari found a statuette in their fishing net.” (Visiting Japan). That statue was of bodhisattva Kannon, the goddess of mercy and compassion. It is said that they returned the statue to the water many times. Yet despite each time, it continued to get caught in their net. Taking it as a sign, they kept it on the boat and brought it to shore.
They then took the statue to Haji no Nakatomo, the head of the village, whose name is disputed. The village chief recognized what it was and turned his house into a temple to honor the goddess Kannon. The villagers also built a grass hut to keep the statue in. Later, in 645, a Buddhist monk, Shokai Shonin, came to the temple.
Following the instructions of his dream, he built a hall for the Kannon statue, and since 645, the statue has been a hibutsu, a hidden image. The statue remains hidden within Sensoji’s main hall. The main hall is one of the many buildings within Sensoji temple.
The additional hall's construction began in 942 when a governor from Awa Province, now Tokushima Prefecture, came to the temple to pray. That governor was Taira no Kinmasa. “When his wish was granted, Kinmasa showed his gratitude by commissioning the construction of additional halls and structures, laying the groundwork for the sprawling complex that draws pilgrims today.
One of these additions included the now-famous Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate), the temple’s grand entrance, and a symbol of Asakusa. Officially named Fūraijinmon, or “Gate of the Thunder Gods,” the structure enshrines the deities of wind and thunder, believed to protect the temple from natural disasters” (MK Tokyo).
Sensoji’s Honzon jigen-e commemorates this by celebrating the day the statue was found. Where does the golden dragon come in? The legend also states that after finding the statue, a grove of pines magically appeared, and the Kannon deity appeared in the sky as a golden dragon. “The auspicious origin of the mountain name of Sensoji Temple, Kinryuzan, is ``On the 18th, about a thousand pine trees arose overnight at the temple, and after three days, a golden-scaled dragon, about 100 feet long, descended from the sky into the pine trees. But after that, he saw a certain place and called it Mt. Kinryu” (365 Asakusa).
While the legend of the golden dragon has existed since March 18, 628, Kinryu no Mai wasn’t created until 1958 to commemorate the restoration of Kannondo, the main hall at Sensoji temple that was destroyed after almost 3 centuries since its last restoration during WWII. Under the guidance of Mantaro Machida, the choreography for the dance of the Golden Dragon was created by Tomoaki Fujima. The music was composed by Yoshiaki Machida, and the dance was directed by Yoshio Yoshikawa.
According to Tokyo Cheapo, “The dance involves around eight men holding up a thrashing golden dragon puppet and takes place three times during the day: 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m.”. There is a 9th dancer who holds a lotus flower that the dragon appears to attack, but it’s said to be protecting it. Some say the lotus flower represents Buddhist teachings, while others say it represents Kannon.
The golden dragon used during the festival is said to be 15 meters long, weighs 88 kilograms, and has 8,888 scales made of gold leaves. It is said to be good luck if you are able to touch the dragon’s head as it passes by. Accompanied by geishas who play Hayashi, the dragon begins its procession in Nakamise-dori. “…the parade starts from Denpoin Temple’s kindergarten in Nakamise-dōri (the street with all the souvenir shops); it goes down Nakamise, makes a stop at the Kaminarimon Gate and then again up Nakamise and to the open space in front of the Goju no To (five-storied pagoda), at the left of Sensōji’s main building” (Tokyo Cheapo).
If you are unable to make it to Sensoji on March 18th to see Kinryu no Mai, don’t worry. You have another opportunity to see it on October 18th for Kiku-Kuyo, the memorial service for chrysanthemums.
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