The dargon would be the first one to come to mind for obvious reasons,its strength, fierceness, wisdom, sprit and mystery, also the magnificent Tora (tiger) in its many strong poses and the Hou-ou (phoenix) with its colourful tail feathers.
And yet there are many more similary strong, wise, mischievous and mysterious creatures that often get overlooked. For instance there is the Kirin, a mythical horse with the scales of a dragon that is said to bring prosperity and righteousness. Foo dog, the lion dog is the protecter of temples, shrines and homes in the Shinto tradition and are usually seen in pairs. The Kappa is a river dwelling mischievous creature that sometimes kidnaps and eats children along the riverbank.
Fujin and Raijin are the respective Shinito storm gods revered all over Japan, conjuring lightning, thunder and wind by beating Raijins drums and Fujin releasing the storm from his giant windbag that he carries over his back, they look like evil demons and are said to be the oldest Shinto gods who were present at the creation of the world.
Theres a few ideas, hope that helped
