The
patron of the
weak and of
children, Hotei is the
Japanese god of
happiness and
laughter and the "
wisdom of being
content". He's comparable to the Buddhistic
Mi-lo-Fo and is usually described as a very fat man with a big ol' belly carrying a large sack (getting the
Santa Claus vibes here?) of "precious things" on his back.
One of the seven Shichi Fukujin, Hotei is also known as the Wagon Priest and may sit in an old car drawn by boys...not reindeer.