Higashiyama (Kyoto)

Based on the account in Kabhiko, it is framed as a small dragon-serpent linked to a manor in Kyoto’s Higashiyama. It resembles a dragon yet is not deified, lurking beneath the soil and under stones, and manifests alongside ominous signs such as withering garden trees and cracked garden stones. Its defining trait is an extreme toxicity said to kill within moments of a bite, echoing ancient lore and fear of deadly vipers. Sightings are rare, with tales in which swarms of strange snakes appear first, and at the end the Seven-Step Viper reveals itself as the true body. It bears four legs, upright ears, and red scales edged in gold—colors read as both auspicious and baleful—and is often taken as a sign of a household’s decline or a disturbance in the land. In folk practice it is tied to neglected stones on mountain skirts and old gardens, and locals would pray before moving stones to avert calamity.