From Blue Dragon to Sumo Ring: A Legend of Old Japan

- A retelling of the legend of Suwa Shrine, adapted for young readers-

Long, long ago, some 1,200 years ago, before trains rattled through Tachikawa and bright shop signs sparkled at night, this land was wild and wonderfully green. The Musashino plains stretched farther than anyone could run, and the Tama River shimmered like a silver ribbon through forests and fields.

People built their homes along the high cliffs where fresh spring water bubbled nearby, while busy little villages spread below.

Most days, the Tama River was gentle and kind. It gave people fish to catch, water to drink, and cool breezes in summer. Children played along its banks, and farmers thanked the river for helping their crops grow tall.

But when dark storms rolled across the sky, everything changed.

The calm river swelled and twisted. Water crashed over the banks, trees toppled, and houses floated away like tiny toys.

The floods came so suddenly and with such terrible force that people began telling stories about the river.

Some claimed they had seen something enormous moving beneath the rushing water at night. Others whispered about glowing eyes shining through the storm. And when thunder echoed through the valley, it sounded almost like a roar.

Before long, the people believed the Tama River was no ordinary river.

A dragon lived within it.

They imagined a gigantic blue dragon with silver whiskers and shining eyes, curling peacefully through the valleys on quiet days. But during storms, it thrashed its mighty tail and flooded the land.

“No one can live peacefully like this!” the villagers cried.

Far away in his grand palace, Emperor Saga heard their pleas. He called upon Takeminakata-no-Mikoto, already enshrined at Suwa Taisha and famous for his incredible strength, even though he carried no weapons.

Takeminakata-no-Mikoto traveled to the raging Tama River, feared by the villagers as Seiryu, the Blue Dragon.

He stood atop the cliffs above the river, his cloak snapping in the wind. Raising his glowing hand toward the sky, he called down the power of the heavens.

The dragon roared so loudly that the mountains trembled. Then, slowly, the river grew calm. The raging waters quieted, and the Tama River returned to its gentle flow once more.

From that day on, people remembered Takeminakata-no-Mikoto as a hero of tremendous courage and strength.

In the ancient Japanese chronicle called the Kojiki, another famous story is told about him.

One day, the mighty thunder god Takemikazuchi arrived carrying a powerful sword to challenge the land. But Takeminakata appeared with no weapons at all.

Instead of fighting with swords or spears, the two grasped each other and wrestled using only their strength and bravery. Legend says this became the very first sumo match ever fought, and that is how sumo was born.