According information posted online by what seems to be a community or neighborhood association of Chinatown, the Kantei-Byo (関帝廟) temple is dedicated to a famous general depicted in a Chinese historical novel who became an inspiration to Chinese immigrants arriving in Japan starting back in the late 1870s. The general was revered for his sense of loyalty, righteousness, and business skills--traits that held a special appeal to the new immigrants who must have struggled as they started building a community, starting new business, and making a new start for the lives of their families.

Kantei-Byo Temple is now a popular tourist destination as well as a holy site where the local Chinese can have their spiritual, social and cultural needs met.

Originally built in 1862, the temple was rebuilt after the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923. It was rebuilt again after the fire bombing during WWII, and rebuilt one more time after a fire in 1981 that was caused by a lightning strike. Tragically, that temple had to be rebuilt a fourth time in 1986 after suffering from another fire that engulfed the structure.

No matter where you go in Chinatown, it's hard not to miss the various designs and postures of dragons.

As evening got darker, I was fortunate to come across one of many dragons on the roofline of Kantei-Byo Temple. From what I understand, dragons are a symbol of power, strength, and good luck for many people in East Asian cultures. They don't seem to hold the same persona of evil and wickedness as more commonly found in western literature or modern pop culture.