shichifukujin 七福神

Lit. "the seven gods of good fortune." The group comprises *Ebisu 恵比須, *Daikokuten 大黒天, *Bishamonten 毘沙門天, *Benzaiten 弁財天, *Fukurokuju 福禄寿, *Jurōjin 寿老人 and *Hotei 布袋. In paintings, the seven are frequently shown riding in a treasure boat *takarabune 宝船, which is an auspicious symbol, especially found during New Year celebrations. 

The seven deities have independent origins in Buddhism, Taoism and Shinto. Although the impetus for the grouping is uncertain, these seven auspicious deities are first believed to have been grouped together and given the name shichifukujin during the Muromachi period. At first, the members of the group were not fixed and Benzaiten became one of the seven deities somewhat later. The group of seven may derive from the Chinese subject of Seven Sages in a Bamboo Grove *chikurin shichiken 竹林七賢 of the Wei-jin dynasties or from the famous Buddhist term from the sutra Ninnōgyō 仁王経, shichinan sokumetsu shichinan sokushō 七難即滅 七難即生 (seven adversities disappeared and seven fortunes arose). From the 15th century, the shichifukujin gained in popularity, especially among urban merchants and artisans, as an auspicious omen and motif of good fortune and longevity, and appear in many painted, sculpted or printed examples. 

Typically Ebisu wears courtly hunting clothes with a folded, pointed cap kazeori eboshi 風折烏帽子, holds a fishing rod in his right hand and a freshly caught red snapper tai 鯛 in his left. Daikokuten usually wears an ancient courtly hunting dress and a cloth cap, stands on two bushels of rice, carries a huge bag over his left shoulder, and holds a mallet of good fortune kozuchi 小槌 to his chest. Bishamonten often sports a thin mustache and beard, wears the ancient Chinese style dress of guardian deities, holds a spear hoko 矛 in his right hand and a Buddhist pagoda *tahōtō 多宝塔 on his left palm. Benzaiten is usually represented as a beautiful goddess in courtly garb, playing a lute biwa 琵琶. Fukurokuju is recognizable by his high-domed bald head and beard; he wears a Chinese robe, holds a staff, and is often accompanied by a crane. Jurōjin, in the dress of a Chinese sage, holds a staff and a scroll, and is often accompanied by a deer. Hotei is a stout, pot-bellied figure who either leans on a huge bag or carries it hung on the end of his staff which is slung over his shoulder.