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Le {{Nihongo|Sette Divinità della Fortuna|七福神|Shichifukujin}} sono un gruppo di divinità che vengono venerate al fine di ricevere un aiuto nella vita quotidiana e poter sostenere le persone nella loro ricerca dell'ottenimento dei benefici mondani.<ref>{{Cita pubblicazione|autore=Inge Maria Daniels|anno=2001|titolo=The Fame of Miyajima: spirituality, commodification and the tourist trade of souvenirs in Japan|rivista=|editore=University of London|città=Londra|volume=|numero=|p=57|lingua=Inglese|url=http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1317570/|cid=Daniels}}</ref>
Fanno parte del gruppo delle Sette Divinità della Fortuna: {{Nihongo|Daikokuten|大黒天|4=Dio dell'abbondanza e ricchezza}}, {{Nihongo|Bishamonten|毘沙門天|4=Dio della guerra}}, {{Nihongo|Benzaiten|弁才天 o 弁財天|4=Dea della bellezza, della musica e di tutto ciò che scorre}},{{Nihongo|Ebisu|恵比寿|4=Dio del cibo quotidiano}}, {{Nihongo|Fukurokuju|福禄寿|4=Dio della buona sorte e della lunga vita}}, {{Nihongo|Jurōjin|寿老人|4=Dio della conoscenza e della longevità}} e {{Nihongo|Hotei|布袋|4=Dio della felicità}}.<ref>{{Cita pubblicazione|autore=Chang Kyu Lee|anno=1998|titolo=A mission strategy for confronting spiritual principalities in Japan|rivista=|editore=Fuller Theological Seminary, School of World Mission, ProQuest Dissertations Publishing|città=Ann Arbor|volume=|numero=|p=73|lingua=Inglese|accesso=|url=https://search.proquest.com/dissertations/docview/304470179/abstract/178A478CA3F442B1PQ/1?accountid=17274|cid=Lee}}</ref>
Solo uno dei membri appartenenti ai Shichifukujin, Ebisu, è di origine giapponese, tutti gli altri invece provengono dal continente: tre di loro fanno parte della tradizione taoista e i restanti tre hanno le loro radici nel Buddismo.<ref name=":0">{{Cita libro|autore=Ian Reader|titolo=Religion in contemporary Japan|anno=1991|editore=University of Hawaii Press|città=Honolulu|lingua=Inglese|p=165|cid=Reader|OCLC=611294539}}</ref> Anche se derivano da tradizioni religiose differenti e sono state venerate individualmente per molto tempo, queste divinità sono riuscite infine a entrare nella vita dei giapponesi come dei benevoli e portatori di fortuna, trasformandosi cosi in divinità protettrici delle professioni e arti più vicine ai giapponesi.<ref name=":1">{{Cita libro|autore=Reiko Chiba|titolo=The seven lucky gods of Japan|anno=2012|editore=Tuttle Pubblishing|città=Boston|lingua=Inglese|p=5|cid=Chiba|OCLC=821863108}}</ref>
Tutte queste divinità vengono spesso raffigurate insieme a bordo della {{Nihongo|Nave del Tesoro|宝船|Takarabune}} mentre salpano dalla Cina per il loro viaggio verso il Giappone portando con se ricchezze e fortuna che doneranno poi ai giapponesi, in cambio di donazioni e della loro venerazione.<ref name=":2">{{Cita pubblicazione|autore=Catherine Ludvik|anno=2001|titolo=From Sarasvati to Benzaiten|rivista=|editore=National Library of Canada, University of Toronto|città=Toronto|volume=|numero=|p=292|lingua=Inglese|url=https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/handle/1807/15465|cid=Ludvik}}</ref>
== Origine e Storia ==
Le Sette Divinità della Fortuna sono tra le divinità di origine straniera che sono riuscite a ottenere maggiore popolarità tra i giapponesi.<ref>{{Cita libro|autore=Stephen Turnbull|titolo=Japan's sexual gods. Shrines, roles and rituals of procreation and protection.|collana=Brill's Japanese studies library, 49|anno=2015|editore=Brill|città=Leiden|lingua=Inglese|p=243|cid=Turnbull|OCLC=918997375}}</ref>
Inizialmente queste divinità venivano venerate individualmente <ref name=":0" />: i primi due dei a cui le persone iniziarono a rivolgersi per i loro poteri furono Ebisu e Daikokuten, che diventarono particolarmente popolari tra i mercanti (chonin). Per i commercianti queste due figure dispensatrici di fortuna erano le divinità adatte a garantire ricchezza e abbondanza ad una casta desiderosa di conseguire un guadagno negli affari. <ref>{{Cita pubblicazione|autore=Sean Harland McPherson|anno=2007|titolo=A tradition of change: a history of Chita Dashimatsuri, 1600-2005|rivista=|editore=University of California, ProQuest Dissertations Publishing|città=Berkeley|volume=|numero=|p=|pp=129-130|lingua=inglese|url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/304899951?accountid=17274|cid=McPherson}}</ref>
In seguito anche le altre divinità iniziarono ad entrare nella vita dei giapponesi, poiché oltre ai mercanti altri gruppi sociali cercavano tra la moltitudine di dei appartenenti alla tradizione delle figure che potessero venire incontro ai loro propri bisogni: i viandanti, dottori e missionari videro in Bishamonten una guida, Benzaiten fu trasformata in una dea protettrice delle arti, gli intellettuali invece iniziarono a rivolgere le loro preghiere a Fukurokuju e Jurojin. Anche Hotei fu venerato dagli studiosi e letterati giapponesi, nonostante non fosse una vera e propria divinità ma un saggio realmente esistito in Cina.<ref name=":1" />
Solo nel XV secolo queste sette divinità furono messe insieme a formare gli Shichifukujin e ad essere pregate non più singolarmente ma come un gruppo, ottenendo cosi una sempre più elevata fama dal periodo Edo in avanti.<ref name=":2" /> La ragione per cui queste divinità siano state riunite in un gruppo non è chiara: un motivo può risiedere nella passione che il popolo giapponese ha verso i gruppi in generale. Un'altra motivazione sta nel fatto che per i giapponesi il numero sette sia un elemento importante della tradizione.<ref name=":3">{{Cita libro|autore=Reiko Chiba|titolo=The seven lucky gods of Japan|anno=2012|editore=Tuttle Publishing|città=Boston|lingua=inglese|p=6|cid=Chiba|OCLC=821863108}}</ref>
Il primo incontro delle sette divinità unite fu nel 1420 a Fushimi dove si tenne una manifestazione,la quale voleva emulare quella del Daimyo,che venne chiamata processione delle Sette Divinità della Fortuna. Si parlò nuovamente degli dei come un insieme nel 1469-86 a causa di dei criminali che si camuffarono dalle sette divinità e riuscirono a derubare delle persone grazie alla loro credenza nelle superstizioni. Viene poi raccontato che in realtà sia stato il monaco buddista Tenkei che nel 1623, dopo che aveva discusso con lo shogun Iemitsu Tokugawa a proposito delle virtù che un dio dovrebbe possedere, sia stato incaricato dallo shogun stesso di selezionare quelle divinità che pensava potessero rappresentare al meglio le virtù. A Tenkei fu anche concesso il potere di creare un culto formale del gruppo di divinità che aveva scelto. Le Sette Divinità della Fortuna furono in seguito dipinte tutte insieme, su richiesta di Tenkei, per la prima volta dall'artista di nome Kano, il più conosciuto del tempo.<ref name=":3" />
Si può affermare che queste divinità siano state legittimamente legate insieme dal XVII secolo, ma la loro fama tra i giapponesi contemporanei è cresciuta dalla metà degli anni '70 fino a oggi, quando in tutto il Giappone i pellegrinaggi e tour dedicati ai templi e santuari delle varie divinità dei Shichifukujin si sono accresciuti. Al giorno d'oggi le Sette Divinità della Fortuna sono particolarmente celebrate durante il Capodanno:il periodo in cui i giapponesi sentono più il bisogno di ricevere fortuna per il nuovo anno e gli dei della fortuna rappresentati mentre portano ricchezze sulla loro Nave del Tesoro sono il simbolo perfetto per l'atmosfera di questo periodo.<ref name=":0" />
== Description of the Fukujin deities[edit source] ==
=== Ebisu (恵比寿)[edit source] ===
Main article: Ebisu (mythology)
From the period of the gods Izanami and Izanagi, Ebisu is the only one whose origins are purely Japanese. He is the god of prosperity and wealth in business, and of abundance in crops, cereals and food in general. He is the patron of fishermen and therefore is represented with fishermen's costumes such as a typical hat, a fishing rod in his right hand and a fish that can be either a carp, a hake, a codfish or a sea bass, or any large fish, in general, that symbolize abundance in meals. It is now common to see his figure in restaurants where fish is served in great quantities or in household kitchens.
=== Daikokuten (大黒天)[edit source] ===
Main article: Daikokuten
Daikokuten is also one of the Shichifukujin. He is the god of commerce and prosperity. There are other characteristics which have also been attributed to him, such as being the patron of cooks, farmers, bankers, and protector of crops. Curiously, he is also considered a demon hunter - legend says that the god Daikokuten hung a sacred talisman on the branch of a tree in his garden and, by using this as a trap, he was able to catch a demon. This god is characterized by his smile, having short legs and wearing a hat on his head. He is usually depicted with a bag full of valuable objects. Daikokuten originated as a syncretic conflation of the Buddhist death deity Mahākāla with the Shinto deity Ōkuninushi.The Japanese name ''Daikoku'' and the Hindi name ''Mahakala'' both translate to "Great Blackness". Per the Butsuzōzui compendium of 1690 (reprinted and expanded in 1796), Daikoku can also manifest as a female known as Daikokunyo (大黒女) ("She of the Great Blackness") or Daikokutennyo (大黒天女) ("She of the Great Blackness of the Heavens").
=== Bishamonten (毘沙門天)[edit source] ===
Main article: Vaiśravana
His origins can be traced back to Hinduism, but he has been adapted by the Japanese culture. He comes from the Hindu god "Kubera" and is also known by the name "Vaisravana" from Hindu culture.
He is the god of fortune in war and battles, also associated with authority and dignity. He is the protector of those who follow the rules and behave appropriately. As the patron of fighters, he is represented dressed in armour and a helmet, carrying a pagoda in his left hand. He also acts as protector of holy sites and important places and holds a spear in his right hand to fight against the evil spirits. He is usually depicted in illustrations with a hoop of fire.
=== Benzaiten (弁才天 or 弁財天)[edit source] ===
Main article: Benzaiten
Her origin is found in Hinduism, as she comes from the Hindu goddess Saraswati. While being the only female Fukujin in the modern grouping of seven Fukujin, she is named in various ways: Benzaiten (弁才天), Benten (弁天), Bentensama (弁天様), or Benzaitennyo (弁才天女). When she was adapted from Buddhism, she was given the attributes of talent, beauty and music among others. In many occasions her figure appears in the "Torii" (entrance of the temples). It is common to see her in the Japanese temples. She is represented as a smart, beautiful woman with all the aforementioned attributes. She carries a ''biwa'', a Japanese traditional lute-like instrument and is normally accompanied by a white snake. She is the patron of artists, writers, dancers, and geisha, among others.
=== Fukurokuju (福禄寿)[edit source] ===
Main article: Fukurokuju
The god Fukurokuju, another Shichifukujin, has his origins in China. It is believed that he used to be a hermit during the Chinese Song dynasty, distinguished for being a reincarnation of the Taoist god Hsuan-wu. He is the god of wisdom, luck, longevity, wealth and happiness. This god receives certain credits, such as being one of the Chinese philosophers who could live without eating. Moreover, he is the only god who was said to have the ability to resurrect the dead. Fukurokuju is characterized by the size of his head, being almost as large as the size of his whole body, and is represented wearing traditional Chinese costumes. He normally carries a cane in one hand and in the other a scroll with writings about the world. He is usually accompanied by a turtle, a crow or a deer, animals that are frequently used in Japan to symbolize a long life. It is also said that he likes to play chess, and so he is also credited for being the patron of chess players. The characteristics of Fukurokuju and Jurōjin bear tremendous overlap as they both trace back to the Chinese Taoist deity Nánjílǎorén (南极老人), which is why Fukurokuju's position among the seven Fukujin is sometimes granted instead to the goddess Kichijōten, as in the Butsuzōzui compendium of 1783.
=== Jurōjin (寿老人)[edit source] ===
Main article: Jurōjin
Considered the incarnation of the southern polestar (南極星 "nankyokusei"), Juroujin is the god of the elderly and longevity in Japanese Buddhist mythology. It is said that the legendary Juroujin is based on a real person who lived in ancient times. He was approximately 1.82 meters tall with a very long head. Besides his distinctive skull, he is represented with a long white beard, riding a deer and is often also accompanied by a 1500 years old crane and a tortoise, as symbols of his affinity with long lives. In addition, he is usually represented under a peach tree, as the fruit of this tree is considered, by Chinese Taoism and corroborated by scientists, able to prolong life as it has antioxidant properties. In his hand he holds a cane and a book or a scroll. The wisdom of the world remains written in its pages. Jurojin enjoys rice and wine, and is a very cheerful figure.
=== Hotei (布袋)[edit source] ===
Main article: Budai
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.
=== Kichijōten (吉祥天)[edit source] ===
Main article: Kisshōten
This Fukujin goddess is also known as Kisshōten (吉祥天) or Kisshoutennyo (吉祥天女), and is adapted via Buddhism from the Hindu goddess Lakshmi. In the 1783 edition of the Butsuzōzui compendium (reprinted in 1796), Kichijōten replaces Fukurokuju as one of the seven Fukujin. Kichijōten's iconography is distinguished from the other Fukujin goddesses by the Nyoihōju gem (如意宝珠) in her hand. When Kichijōten replaces Fukurokuju, and Daikoku is regarded in feminine form, all three of the Hindu Tridevi goddesses are then represented among the seven Fukujin.
== Significant culture references[edit source] ==
* ''Happy Seven'' is an anime about a school club consisting of seven girls, each one having a different power from the Seven Gods of Fortune.<sup>[''citation needed'']</sup>
* ''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'').
* The first ''Ranma ½'' film, ''Ranma ½: Big Trouble in Nekonron, China'', featured the seven lucky gods of martial arts as the primary antagonists.<sup>[''citation needed'']</sup>
* The 2012 children's picture book ''The Seven Gods of Luck'' by David Kudler features the seven lucky gods rewarding two poor children for their generosity.
== Location of shrines[edit source] ==
* Toka Ebisu Shrine, Fukuoka
* Nanyo – Kanjizaiji (観自在寺), Shikoku
* Nishinomiya Shrine, Hyogo
* Imamiya Ebisu Shrine, Osaka
== Note ==
{{References}}
== Bibliografia ==
{{Cita libro|autore=Stephen Turnbull|titolo=Japan's Sexual Gods: Shrines, Roles and Rituals of Procreation and Protection|collana=Brillʼs Japanese studies library ; 49|anno=2015|editore=Brill|città=Leiden|lingua=inglese|p=|cid=Turnbull|OCLC=918997375}}
{{Cita libro|autore=Reiko Chiba|titolo=The Seven Lucky Gods of Japan|anno=2012|editore=Tuttle Publishing|città=Boston|lingua=inglese|p=|cid=Chiba|OCLC=821863108}}
{{Cita libro|autore=Ian Reader|titolo=Religion in Contemporary Japan|anno=1991|editore=University of Hawaii Press|città=Honolulu|lingua=Inglese|p=|cid=Reader|OCLC=611294539}}
{{Cita libro|autore=Ian Reader|autore2=George J., Jr. Tanabe|titolo=Practically Religious: Worldly Benefits and the Common Religion of Japan|anno=1998|editore=University of Hawaii Press|città=Honolulu|lingua=inglese|p=|cid=Tanabe|OCLC=47011574}}
{{Cita libro|autore=Allen Hockley|autore2=Koryūsai Isoda|titolo=The Prints of Isoda Koryūsai: Floating World Culture and Its Consumers in eighteenth-century Japan|anno=2003|editore=University of Washington Press|città=Seattle|lingua=Inglese|p=|cid=Hockley|OCLC=50644027}}
{{Cita pubblicazione|autore=Inge Maria Daniels|anno=2001|titolo=The Fame of Miyajima: spirituality, commodification and the tourist trade of souvenirs in Japan|rivista=|editore=University of London|città=Londra|volume=|numero=|lingua=inglese|url=http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1317570/|cid=Daniels}}
{{Cita pubblicazione|autore=Chang Kyu Lee|anno=1998|titolo=A mission strategy for confronting spiritual principalities in Japan|rivista=|editore=Fuller Theological Seminary, School of World Mission, ProQuest Dissertations Publishing|città=Ann Arbor|volume=|numero=|lingua=Inglese|url=https://search.proquest.com/dissertations/docview/304470179/abstract/178A478CA3F442B1PQ/1?accountid=17274|cid=Lee}}
{{Cita pubblicazione|autore=Catherine Ludvik|anno=2001|titolo=From Sarasvatī to Benzaiten|rivista=|editore=National Library of Canada, University of Toronto|città=Toronto|volume=|numero=|lingua=Inglese|url=https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/handle/1807/15465|cid=Ludvik}}
{{Cita pubblicazione|autore=Sean Harland McPherson|anno=2007|titolo=A tradition of change: a history of Chita Dashimatsuri, 1600-2005|rivista=|editore=University of California, ProQuest Dissertations Publishing|città=Berkeley|volume=|numero=|lingua=inglese|url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/304899951?accountid=17274|cid=McPherson}}
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