Hand Cast Brass - Nepal The stories Kojiki and Nihon Shoki were the first to mention dragons in Japanese mythology (around 720 AD). The Japanese dragon, unlike the European dragon, is a beneficent creature that does not breathe fire. It has a physical appearance that resembles that of a Chinese dragon. A wingless serpentine monster with three clawed legs is characterized as a Japanese dragon. In Japan, the Japanese dragon is referred to as "Nihon no ryū" (日本の竜). Hand cast brass by a Fair-Trade cooperative in Nepal.