Most of the yokai I’ve painted so far have been kinds of yokai rather than unique creatures. Today’s, however, is not a kind but rather a one-of-a-kind, named yokai.

Seiryuu

Seiryuu, also known as The Azure Dragon of the East, is one of the four great gods of Chinese mythology. Like the kirin and the hou-ou, he was brought over from China to Japan more than 1000 years ago, and has since developed his own unique Japanese-ness.

Seiryuu, along with his 3 buddies Byakko, Gembu, and Suzaku, is one of the great symbols of the constellations. He represents the eastern sky as well as seven positions of the moon. The other 3 also have similar designations. (You may remember that I painted Byakko back in January, and I styled this one to match that painting.)

Another interesting fact about Seiryuu’s symbolism is that, in addition to the sky, he also guards and represents a section of Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan. Seiryuu is the guardian of the eastern quarter, and his chief temple is the very famed Kiyomizu temple. In fact, when you visit Kiyomizu temple you will probably wash your hands before entering the temple at a fountain adorned with a statue of Seiryuu.

Seiryuu, the Azure Dragon of the East

And by the way,the first week’s worth of yokai is now up on my Etsy store! The prints look absolutely wonderful and come matted and ready to frame or even hang as-is. Visit http://osarusan.etsy.com and check out the available yokai! | 「今日の妖怪シリーズ」今日は青竜です。天の四方を司っている四神（しじん）の一つで、東が青竜になります。前に描いた麒麟や鳳凰と同様、1000年以上前に中国から日本に伝わったものですが、日本に伝わってからは日本特有の伝わり方をしています。

青竜の他に四神には白虎、玄武、朱雀がおり、それらは偉大な星座の象徴でもあります。昨年の1月に白虎を描きましたので、今回はその白虎に続いて四神をそれぞれ白虎に合わせたスタイルで描いていこうと思っています。

青竜に関しては一つ興味深い話があります。青竜は京都（当時の都）の東を守っており、主となる寺は有名な清水寺であったとされています。清水寺を訪れる機会がありましたら是非見ていただきたいのですが、本堂に入る前にある手水場（ちょうずば）で青竜が水を提供していますよ。

Seiryuu, the Azure Dragon of the East

「青竜」の絵は私のＥｔｓｙストアで購入が可能になっています。オリジナルの「青竜」の購入がご希望でしたら、こちらのお問い合わせフォームからご依頼をおねがいします。世界に1枚のオリジナルですので、売れてしまう場合もございます・・・。ご注文はお早めに。