Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Will Miss #377 - the 7 lucky gods


The old gods of Greece are often portrayed as competing with one another and fighting amongst themselves. Cultures with multiple gods rarely show them playing nice together, but Japan's 7 lucky gods are often shown as one big happy family. They're on a boat taking a little cruise together or hanging out looking like they're all smiles. Their images often adorn products or are placed in front of various establishments. The 7 lucky gods are also a part of various pilgrimages in Japan. At multiple locations, you can travel from shrine to shrine and collect figures of all of the gods, or you can simply get stamps on a paper showing that you've completed the circuit. It's a fun way to explore areas of Japan that you might not otherwise decide to visit, and maybe the spirits residing in the various shrines will bring you good fortune. ;-)

I'll miss seeing the 7 lucky gods happy faces and taking the pilgrimages.