Fukurokuju- Japanese GodDeity"God of Longevity"
Also known as: Fukurokujin and 福禄寿
Titles & Epithets
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Description
An aged sage whose bald cranium stretches impossibly tall with accumulated centuries, Fukurokuju carries the three blessings of happiness, wealth, and longevity in his very name. He stands among the Seven Lucky Gods, the one who promises not riches but time.
Mythology & Lore
The Star of Longevity
Fukurokuju traces to the Chinese Shouxing, the Star of Longevity, personification of the southern polar star Canopus. In Chinese belief, this star governed the length of human life. Its visible form was an old sage with a domed forehead stretched impossibly tall. The three characters of Fukurokuju's name preserve the Chinese tripartite blessing: fuku (happiness), roku (wealth), ju (longevity), three separate star gods compressed into one figure.
He wears Chinese scholarly robes and carries a staff with a scroll attached. A crane walks beside him, or a tortoise. Both are creatures of immense age. Beside him often stands Jurōjin, another aged sage of the Seven Lucky Gods who also presides over long life. The two overlap so thoroughly that some traditions treat them as one figure in two bodies. The chief difference is visible: Fukurokuju's skull rises to an extraordinary height. Jurōjin's does not.
The Treasure Ship
At New Year, the Seven Lucky Gods arrive together aboard the takarabune, the treasure ship bearing good fortune for the coming year. Fukurokuju stands among them, each god carrying a different blessing. His gift is the quiet one. Not wealth, not martial success. Time, and the wisdom to use it.
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