Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Dragon King Rabbit, White Rabbit of Daio Kokushi
Category: Rabbit
The Myth
The Dragon King Rabbit was a white rabbit that appeared harmless but possessed a hidden divine nature. When the young monk Daio Kokushi encountered the rabbit, he saved it from a pack of wolves. The rabbit later repaid this kindness by revealing its extraordinary powers.
While Daio Kokushi was travelling by ship, a violent storm threatened to sink the vessel. As the waves grew dangerous and disaster seemed unavoidable, the white rabbit leapt into the sea. The moment it entered the water, the raging waves calmed, and a safe path opened across the ocean, allowing the ship to escape destruction.
Surrounded by a golden glow, the rabbit then rose into the sky and transformed into the Dragon King, revealing itself as an incarnation of the sea god. Though it had appeared as a small, silent animal, the rabbit was in truth a divine protector capable of commanding the sea and saving those in danger.
Sources
“Ryūō-usagi.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1082914475.html