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The Seven Gods of Fortune (七福神 Shichi Fukujin?), commonly referred to in English as the Seven Lucky Gods, refer to the seven gods of good fortune in Japanese mythology and folklore. They are often the subject of netsuke carvings and other representations.
Each has a traditional attribute:
Hotei, the fat and happy god of abundance and good health
Jurōjin, god of longevity
Fukurokuju, god of happiness, wealth and longevity
Bishamonten, god of warriors
Benzaiten (Benten-sama), goddess of knowledge, art and beauty, especially music
Daikokuten (Daikoku), god of wealth, commerce and trade. Ebisu and Daikoku are often paired and represented as carvings or masks on the walls of small retail shops
Ebisu, god of fishers or merchants, often depicted carrying a sea bream.

Many figures in Japanese myth were transmitted from China (some having entered China from India), including all of the Seven Lucky Gods except Ebisu. Another god, Kichijōten, goddess of happiness, is sometimes found depicted along with the seven traditional gods, replacing Jurōjin. The reasoning being that Jurōjin and Fukurokuju were originally manifestations of the same Taoist deity, the Southern Star. However, as is often the case in folklore, Japanese gods sometimes represent different things in different places.
The seven gods are often depicted on their ship, the Takarabune (宝船), or "Treasure Ship." The tradition holds that the seven gods will arrive in town on the New Year and distribute fantastic gifts to worthy people. Children often receive red envelopes emblazoned with the Takarabune which contain gifts of money around the New Year. The Takarabune and its passengers are often depicted in art in varied locations, from the walls of museums to cuddly caricatures.



Happy Seven is an anime about a school club consisting of seven girls, having each one a different power of the Seven Gods of Fortune.
The Seven Gods of Fortune appear in the video game Pocky & Rocky 2 for the Super Nintendo.
The main group of villains in the Ranma ½ movie Big Trouble in Nekonron, China call themselves the Seven Lucky Gods Martial Artists and are based on them, but with different names.
A song with the name 七福神 with a background movie parodying the Seven Gods of Fortune is available in Drummania V3 [1]
A character in Dan Brown's Deception Point prays to the "seven deities of good luck" at one point, but uses the term shichigosan, which actually refers to the festivals for children of the special ages of seven, five, and three.
The Seven Lucky Gods are boss characters in Keio Flying Squadron.
Pink film directors Toshiya Ueno, Shinji Imaoka, Yoshitaka Kamata, Toshiro Enomoto, Yūji Tajiri, Mitsuru Meike and Rei Sakamoto are known collectively as the "Seven Lucky Gods of Pink" (ピンク七福神 pinku shichifukujin?).[2]
In the Richard Morgan novel Woken Furies, two of the three moons of Harlan's World are called Hotei and Daikoku. (The third is Marikanon)

Fu Lu Shou
Fu Lu Shou (simplified Chinese: 福禄寿; traditional Chinese: 福祿壽; pinyin: Fú Lù Shòu) refers to the concept of Good Fortune (Fu), Prosperity (Lu), and Longevity (Shou). This Taoist concept is thought to date back to the Ming Dynasty[1], when the Fu Star, Lu Star and Shou Star were considered to be personified deities of these attributes respectively. The term is commonly used in Chinese culture to denote the three attributes of a good life.

Fu star
The Fu star (福) refers to the planet Jupiter. In traditional astrology, the planet Jupiter was believed to be auspicious. Alternately, according to Taoist legend, the Fu Star is associated with Yang Cheng, a governor of Daozhou. Yang Cheng risked his life by writing a memorial to the emperor to save the people from suffering. After his death, the people built a temple to commemorate him, and over time he came to be considered the personification of good fortune.
He is generally depicted in scholar's dress, holding a scroll, on which is sometimes written the character "Fu". He may also be seen holding a child, or surrounded by children.

Lu star
The Lu star (禄) is Ursa Major-ζ, or, in traditional Chinese astronomy, the sixth star in the Wenchang cluster, and like the Fu star came to be personified. The Lu star is believed to be Zhang Xian who lived during the Later Shu dynasty. The word lu specifically refers to the salary of a government official. As such, the Lu star is the star of prosperity, rank, and influence.
The Lu star was also worshipped separately from the other two as the deity dictating one's success in the Imperial Examinations, and therefore success in the imperial bureaucracy. The Lu star is usually depicted in the dress of a mandarin.

Shou star
The Shou star (壽) is Argo Navis-α (Canopus), the star of the South Pole in Chinese astronomy, and is believed to control the life spans of mortals. According to legend, he was carried in his mother's womb for ten year before being born, and was already an old man when delivered. He is recognized by his high, domed forehead and the peach which he carries as a symbol of immortality. The God of Longevity is usually shown smiling and friendly, and he may sometimes be carrying a gourd filled with Elixir of Life.

Fukurokuju
In Japan, Fukurokuju (福禄寿) (from Japanese fuku, "happiness"; roku, "wealth"; and ju, "longevity") is one of the Seven Lucky Gods in Japanese mythology. It has been theorized that he is a Japanese assimilation of the Chinese Three Star Gods (Fulushou) embodied in one deity. Most related in appearance to the Chinese star god Shou, he is the God of wisdom and longevity. According to some, before attaining divinity, he was a Chinese hermit of the Sung Dynasty and a reincarnation of the Taoist god Xuanwu. It is said that during his human incarnation, he was a sennin; a philosopher who could exist without eating food.
He is sometimes confused with Juroujin, who by some accounts is Fukurokuju's grandson and by other accounts inhabits the same body as Fukurokuju.
Usually portrayed as being bald, with long whiskers, he is said to be an incarnation of the Southern Polestar. In many depictions, Fukurokuju has an abnormally high forehead. The sacred book tied to his staff either contains the lifespan of every person on earth or a magical scripture. He is accompanied by a crane and a turtle, which are considered to be symbols of longevity. He is also sometimes accompanied by a black deer (ancient legends say a deer turns black if it is over 2000 years old).
He is the only member of the Seven Lucky Gods credited with the ability to revive the dead.