Mampuku-ji Temple

Kyoto, Japan

Hotei is one of the seven Japanese gods of good luck, instantly recognizable by his fat belly and laughing good nature. He is thought to be based on a Chinese monk named Bu-dai, who became identified as an incarnation of Miroku, the Bodisattva of the future. The statue is kept in the Tenno-den (Heavenly Kings Hall) of the temple.