#FIVE out of Seven

SEVEN LUCKY GODS OF JAPAN

FOR ALL THE CHUBBY CHASERS!
NUMBER 7 - HOTEI 布袋. He is one of those who seem not to have a care in the world. He is the god of contentment and happiness, he loves and gaurds kids and... is the patron of bartenders? (That Beefcakes hotty is covered then!)

HOTEI 布袋 has a cheerful face and a big belly. You will recognize him as the Fat, Laughing Buddha whose tummy everyone always wants to rub.

If you are hungry and down on your luck he is the god to call on. He carries a large cloth bag over his back that never empties, and he uses it to feed the poor and needy. The bag includes an inexhaustible supply of treasures, including food and drink.

Hotei is most likely based on the itinerant 10th-century Chinese Buddhist monk and hermit Budaishi (d. 917), who is said to be an incarnation of Miroku Bodhisattva (Maitreya in Sanskrit).


Hotei is sometimes shown surrounded by a group of small children, romping and squealing in delight around the chubby deity.

Recently, Hotei is also referred to as the patron saint of restaurateurs and bartenders. When one over eats and over drinks, one may sometimes jokingly attribute it to Hotei’s influence. (His powers are strongest on weekends).