Happy New Year!

Last week saw the beginning of the Chinese New Year. It is year of the Dragon which is considered the luckiest in the Chinese Zodiac. The legendary creature is so auspicious; it is a potent symbol of power, and strength.

In Japanese folklore too, Dragons feature extensively.
Luminous Pearl Princess is my favourite Dragon Goddess from ancient Japanese mythology. She was the daughter of Ryūjin, the Dragon ruler of the seas. He lived in an underwater sea palace and had magical jewels which controlled the ebb and flow of the tides. These stories are incredibly rich and intricate...below is Princess Tamatori stealing Ryūjin's tide jewels, (by Utagawa Kuniyoshi) image from here.

It's the ABC of Japan!
I am really enjoying this series of illustrations by Yoriko Yoshida. The letters of the alphabet (except for Q and X) are drawn to portray an element of Japanese culture, very quirky. These are some of my favourites...













see all of the alphabet here