If you visit a shrine or temple in Japan, look up at the ceiling in the main room. Often it will be painted with the image of a dragon. One reason for this is that dragons represent the virtue of courage. However there is also a more superstitious reason: dragons are associated with the element of Water, and their image is believed to serve as protection against fire. This is very important in a country like Japan where wood is the main building material.
If you look closely, you will notice that the dragon is clutching a ball in one of its feet. Much like their European counterparts, Japanese dragons also 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.
In Buddhism, one of the most important concepts is the “jewel within the lotus”, cryptically described as “the jewel that grants all desires”, and represented pictorially as a precious jewel – the Dragon Ball.
Calligraphy by Vicky 