Seven Lucky Gods

The Seven Lucky Gods is a group of seven gods who bring good fortune to mankind in traditional Japanese regional belief. Unlike other more popular groups of religious figures in the series, they do not make consistent appearances. Persona 2: Innocent Sin and Persona 2: Eternal Punishment are the only games in the franchise to feature all members of the group.
==Members==
*Mahakala (Daikokuten, equated with Shinto Okuninushi)
*Bishamonten
*Lakshmi (Kichijouten) or Shou Shen (Juroujin)
*Sarasvati (Benzaiten)
*Ebisu (equated with Shinto Kotoshironushi)
*Budai (Hotei)
*Fukurokuju (equated with Juroujin if his place is taken by Kichijouten)
==History==
The are believed to have originated from the Kansai region of Japan, with their popularity spreading across the country, but it is not known when the belief had started and by whom. The exact members of the group also varied somehow. Some early records include Hsing-Hsing or but they are no longer considered part of the group.
Apart from Ebisu, the rest of the gods are imported from either Hindu, Buddhist or Chinese mythologies. Daikokuten and Bishamonten, who are generally depicted as fierce warriors in Buddhism, are shown as benign to fit the theme of good fortune within the group.
Category:Japanese Mythology