The Seven Lucky Gods of Japan are not a single “family” born in one country or one era. They are a procession of symbols of good fortune—assembled in Japan into one unified lineup. Imagine them as a cheerful group arriving on the Treasure Ship: a festive parade of fortune. Each figure carries a different role—prosperity in trade, abundance of food, victory in competition, arts and learning, longevity, harmony—and together they “distribute” good luck across the town.
In that sense, the Seven Lucky Gods also reflect a uniquely Japanese religious imagination: rather than insisting on one exclusive system, Japan shaped a shared cultural space where figures associated with Shinto, Hindu traditions (via Buddhism), Buddhism, and Daoist-inspired beliefs could stand side by side—each welcomed for the kind of “fortune” it represents.
Why sources sometimes disagree
If you compare different references, you may notice variations in wording, emphasis, or timelines. That is normal, because “the Seven Lucky Gods” can be explained at three different layers:
- Origin layer: where each deity or model figure first appears in its original cultural sphere.
- Japan layer: when the figure becomes visible in Japan through worship, texts, images, or statues.
- Set layer: when these figures are treated as a single group—the Seven Lucky Gods—as a shared tradition.
To keep this guide clean and comparable, the table below separates “earliest attestation” into two columns: (A) origin-side and (B) Japan-side. Dates are given in BCE/CE and are best read as practical reference points rather than absolute “birthdays.”
Seven Lucky Gods list
| Deity | Key blessings | How to recognize | Roots (origin sphere) | (A) Earliest attestation (origin-side) | (B) Earliest attestation (Japan-side) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ebisu | Prosperity in trade, good catch, household luck | Fishing rod + sea bream | Japan (local folk/Shinto sphere) | 712 CE (mythic roots recorded in early chronicles; later identifications vary by tradition) | 712 CE (as mythic record); grouped as one of the Seven Lucky Gods from later periods |
| Daikokuten | Wealth, food abundance, household protection | Mallet, rice bales, large sack | India → Buddhist sphere → Japan (Mahākāla lineage) | 7th century CE (secure documentary line for Buddhist protective-deity context) | 9th century CE (visible within early Japanese esoteric/Buddhist reception) |
| Bishamonten (Tamonten) | Victory, protection, warding off misfortune | Armor + miniature pagoda + spear/halberd | India/Central Asia → Buddhist sphere → Japan (Vaiśravaṇa/Kubera stream) | 1st century BCE (attested in early textual strata; traditions vary by corpus) | 7th century CE (clearly visible through Four Heavenly Kings imagery in Japan) |
| Benzaiten (Benten) | Arts, learning, eloquence, prosperity | Biwa (Japanese lute) | India → Buddhist sphere → Japan (Sarasvatī lineage) | c. 1500 BCE (Vedic textual horizon) | 710–794 CE (Nara period visibility in worship and representation) |
| Fukurokuju | Happiness, status/fortune, longevity | Very long forehead, staff, scroll | China (Daoist-inspired folk sphere; “three star” motif) | 1368–1644 CE (Ming-era popularity described in many summaries) | 14th–16th century CE (settling into the Seven Lucky Gods set in Japan) |
| Jurojin | Health, long life | Deer + staff + scroll | China (star/immortality lore) | 960–1279 CE (Song-era framing is often used as a reference point) | 14th–16th century CE (settling into the Seven Lucky Gods set in Japan) |
| Hotei | Good fortune, harmony, generous spirit | Big sack + smiling face + round belly | China (modeled on a historical monk figure) | 917 CE (traditional death date used as a reference point) | 14th–16th century CE (strong visibility through art and popular devotion) |
How to read the Treasure Ship tradition
The beauty of the Seven Lucky Gods is not “purity of lineage,” but the skill of cultural editing. Each figure offers a different kind of fortune, so the group covers a full human year: earning, eating, competing, learning, staying healthy, aging well, and keeping harmony. As a result, the tradition naturally fits the New Year—when people reset their hopes, make vows, and welcome what is “auspicious.”
Once you see the Seven Lucky Gods as a parade, the tradition becomes practical: you start recognizing the icons at a glance, and you understand why a community would want all seven “roles” present at the beginning of the year.
What comes next in this series
This is the overview article. Next, we will explore each god in a dedicated post—origins, how the figure took shape in Japan, what the key symbols mean, and why that particular form of “fortune” became central to the deity’s identity.
Happy New Year
This January 1, 2026 article has become a perfect Happy New Year post. May 2026 be a wonderful year for everyone.
The Seven Lucky Gods No.1 Ebisu
The Seven Lucky Gods No.2 Daikokuten
The Seven Lucky Gods No.3 Bishamonten
The Seven Lucky Gods No.4 Benzaiten