Key Points

- Nine headed dragon who demanded sacrifices from the Lake Ashi people 

- Chained to an underwater rock formation by a priest

Brief Bio 

During the Nara period, a legend arose that the Nine-headed Dragon had settled in Lake Ashi in Hakone, and that it demanded a sacrifice. To appease the dragon, the villagers agreed to select a house by shooting a white-feathered arrow and seeing where it landed, then sacrificing the daughter of the house. A priest named Mankan (Japanese: 万巻上人) cursed the dragon, and is said to have chained it to the Upside-down Cedar (an underwater rock formation). As a result of this legend, the dragon came to be worshipped as Kuzuryū Daimyōjin (九頭竜大明神, "Great God Nine-Headed Dragon). The expression "send up a white-feathered arrow" has come to mean "choose by lot."

The legend continues, saying Mankan saw the dragon reform and change into a Dragon King. He then built a shrine to the dragon. After this the customary offering to the dragon changed from human sacrifice to steamed rice with red beans.