Seven Lucky Gods of Japan

From: Rowan Silverwing

just a bit more info on the above.

Benten
The Japanese goddess of love, eloquence, wisdom, the arts, music, knowledge, good fortune and water. She is the patroness of geishas, dancers, and musicians. Originally she was a sea goddess or water goddess, on whose image many local deities near lakes were based. Later she became a goddess of the rich and was added to the Shichi Fukujin . The island of Enoshima rose up especially to receive her footsteps. Benten is portrayed as a beautiful woman, riding a dragon while playing on a stringed instrument. She has eight arms and in her hands she holds a sword, a jewel, a bow, an arrow, a wheel, and a key. Her remaining two hands are joined in prayer. It is often related that when a dragon devoured many children, she descended to earth to stop his evil work.

Bishamon
The Japanese god to whom many functions are attributed, but he is mostly known as a god of war, the distributor of wealth and protector of those who worship the 'Lotus of the righteous Law'. He was successfully invoked by Prince Shotoku in 587 during the campaign against the anti-Buddhist clans of Japan. He protects against demons and diseases, and a guardian of one of the four cardinal points (the North). Bishamon is one of the

Shichi Fukujin
He appears in iconography as a powerful monarch, in full armor, standing on demons and holding a spear in his hand, but sometimes wearing a wheel of fire like a halo.

Daikoku
The Japanese god of wealth and protector of the soil and patron of farmers. He is one of the

Shichi Fukujin
Called the Great Black One, he makes wishes of mortals come true. He is portrayed as a fat and prosperous man, standing or seated on two bags of rice and with a bag of jewels on his shoulder. On his chest he has a golden sun disk and in his hand he holds a magic mallet (with male and female symbols) which fulfils all wishes. His familiar is the rat, and he is a friend of children. Ebisu is his son. Sometimes the image is of a goddess, called Yasha.

Ebisu
The Japanese god who represents the wealth of the sea, and patron of all that is related to fishing, especially fishermen. Also the god of labor. He is sometimes mentioned as the son of 

Daikoku
the Japanese god who represents the wealth of the earth. Ebisu was worshipped in the coastal region near Osaka (where his temple was located) and was portrayed with a fish and a fishing rod. He is one of the seven Shichi Fukujin. Anything found on the beach may be Ebisu, even a ghost or its corpse.

Fukurokuju
The Japanese Shinto god of wisdom