Asian Spectator

Men's Weekly

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Japan's Laughing Buddha Hotei is merging into Santa Claus -- both are roly-poly sacred figures with a bag of gifts

  • Written by Megan Bryson, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, University of Tennessee
Japan's Laughing Buddha Hotei is merging into Santa Claus -- both are roly-poly sacred figures with a bag of giftsIn Japan, children look forward to a visit from Hotei, a jolly Japanese god with a rotund frame.Ganref

As Christmas approaches, children in many parts of the world look forward to a visit from the potbellied Santa Claus, who comes down chimneys carrying a sackful of gifts over his shoulder. In Japan, some children also wait for Hotei, a jolly...

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