If you visit a shrine or temple in Japan, look up at the ceiling of the main room.
Often there will be a painting of a dragon.
One reason is that dragons represent the virtue of courage.
Another, more superstitious, reason is that dragons are associated with the element of water, and so are a protection against fire. This is very important in a country where wood is the main building material.
If you look closely, you’ll notice that the dragon is clutching a ball in one of its feet. Much like their European counterparts, Japanese dragons like to collect precious objects. These balls are the “Dragon Ball” of the eponymous comic book – the ball-shaped jewels that grant the owner wishes.
Buddhists speak of the “jewel within the lotus” – a boundless compassion. It is cryptically described as “the jewel that grants all desires”, and represented pictorially as a precious jewel – the Dragon Ball.
Calligraphy by Vicky 