A legend and rice farming ～Praying to the two dragons～

People’s shouts and the sound of Japanese drums resound. The sound of firecrackers and the smell of gunpowder hangs in the air. Two dragons that appear with white smoke on a summer night. They are a male dragon and a female dragon. This summer, the 2nd Shonai Kiryu Festival was held in Shonai Town. Japanese people have a custom of believing in the dragon god, who is said to be the god of water. One of them is the Tachiyazawa River. The water source is Mt. Gassan, the top of Shonai Town. Once upon a time there lived a crop-raiding dragon, and the inhabitants prayed to appease the dragon. It is said that the dragon now protects the rice fields of this area. This festival was born with this legend as a motif. The delicious rice grown in abundant water still supports people’s lives.