Japanese mythology includes a vast number of gods, goddesses, and spirits. Most of the stories concern the creation of the world, the foundation of the islands of Japan, and the activities of deities, humans, animals, spirits, and magical creatures...
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God of fortune, guardian of the children, patron of diviners and barmen, and also the god of popularity. He is depicted as a fat, smiling, bald man with a curly moustache. He always appears half naked, as his clothes are not wide enough to cover his enormous belly. He did grace to the Chinese, and therefore they nicknamed him "Cho-Tei-Shi” or “Ho-Tei-Shi," which means ‘bag of old clothes’.
Hotei was a Zen priest, but his appearance and some of his actions were against their moral condition: his appearance made him look like a quite mischievous person and he didn’t have a fixed place to sleep.
He carries a bag on his shoulders which is, according to the beliefs, loaded with fortunes for those who believe in his virtues.
The legend explains that Hotei was a real person. His Chinese name was Kaishi, and even though it seems that his date of birth is unknown, his death is recorded on March 916.
The Japanese began to believe in Hotei during the Edo era. The reason why the Japanese have such great respect for this god comes from a legend that says that, before the Zen Buddhism arrived to Japan, an alternative Buddhist thought was extended by a priest of dubious aesthetic, who actually was a manifestation of Miroku. Miroku was the patron of those who could not be saved by the beliefs of Buddha, and Hotei was later perceived and accepted by the Japanese as a second Miroku.
