Seven Lucky Gods and the Treasure Ship Coloring Pages

7 Gods of Fortune

The Seven Lucky Gods and the Treasure Ship are seven gods said to bring happiness to everyone.
The seven gods are Ebisu, Daikokuten, Bishamonten, Benzaiten, Fukurokuju, Jurojin, and Hotei.
At New Year's, some people go on a tour called Shichifukujin Meguri to visit temples and shrines where the Seven Lucky Gods and the Treasure Ship are honored.
Pictures showing all seven gods together on a treasure ship loaded with treasures are thought to bring very good luck.

Gods from Different Lands

The Seven Lucky Gods and the Treasure Ship come from different countries.
Ebisu is a Japanese god, while Daikokuten, Bishamonten, and Benzaiten came from India.
Fukurokuju, Jurojin, and Hotei came from China.
It is fun to see gods from different countries riding together happily on one ship!

Tell Them Apart by What They Hold

You can tell the Seven Lucky Gods and the Treasure Ship apart by what they carry.
Ebisu holds a fishing rod and a red sea bream, and Daikokuten holds a magic treasure mallet and a big sack.
Bishamonten wears armor and holds a spear, while Benzaiten holds a musical instrument called a biwa lute.
Fukurokuju has a long head, Jurojin has a walking stick and a scroll, and Hotei is easy to spot with his big belly and large sack.

3 Coloring Pages

There are 3 coloring pages.
The 1st page shows the treasure ship loaded with treasures like rice bales and gold coins.
The 2nd page shows the cute Seven Lucky Gods and the Treasure Ship riding on the boat.
The 3rd page is a detailed coloring page that shows the Seven Lucky Gods and the Treasure Ship sailing over big waves.
There is also a treasure ship with a sheep on it in the Year of the Sheep coloring page, so be sure to check it out!

Blessings from the Gods

People say each of the Seven Lucky Gods and the Treasure Ship gives special blessings.
Ebisu is the god of business, and Daikokuten is the god of food and wealth.
Bishamonten is the god of strength and protection, and Benzaiten is the goddess of music and learning.
Fukurokuju and Jurojin are gods of long life, and Hotei brings a open heart and happiness with his big smile.
When all seven are together, all kinds of happiness will come to you!
Pictures of the Seven Lucky Gods and the Treasure Ship are often used on New Year decorations and New Year cards.
People have loved them for a long time as lucky pictures.

Color the Treasure Ship in Gold and Red

Make the treasure ship look grand! Color the hull brown or red, and the decorations gold.
Color the sail white or cream, and the rising sun red to make it look bright and lucky.
Try coloring the rice bales ocher, the gold coins gold, and the coral red.

Kimonos of Seven Lucky Gods and the Treasure Ship

If you give each of Seven Lucky Gods and the Treasure Ship a different color kimono, they will be easy to tell apart.
Ebisu's sea bream looks great in red, Daikokuten's sack in white or light brown, and Benzaiten's robe in pink or light blue.
Color Bishamonten's armor in gold and navy blue to make him look strong!

Waves in Dark and Light Blue

If you alternate dark blue and light blue for the waves, they will look like they are rolling!
Leave the spray white, and add just a little light color to the tips of the waves. It will make the ocean look powerful!

Telling Fukurokuju and Jurojin Apart

Fukurokuju and Jurojin are both grandpas with white beards. Let's color them differently so you can tell them apart!
Try changing their colors! Make Fukurokuju's kimono purple or navy blue, and Jurojin's kimono green or brown.
Color Hotei's big tummy in skin tone. Leave the middle a little bright, and it will look nice and round!
Daikokuten's hood looks best in dark brown, and Ebisu's cap looks great in black.
For the crane in the sky, keep its body white and color just the top of its head red.
Color Benzaiten's lute in a nice wooden brown.

The First Dream of the Year and the Treasure Ship

The very first dream you see on a New Year's night is called the first dream of the year.
In the old days, people had a custom of putting a picture of the treasure ship under their pillow when they slept so they could have a good dream.
It might be fun to color this coloring page and put it under your pillow, too!

Reading Forward and Backward

Sometimes, a magical poem is written on the picture of the treasure ship that reads the same whether you read it forward or backward!
The poem goes, "Nakaki yo no / Tō no nefuri no / Mina mesame / Naminori fune no / Oto no yoki kana."
Try reading it backward to see!

The Number 7

The number 7 has been considered lucky for a long time.
There are 7 days in a week, and a rainbow is said to have 7 colors.
It is also said that when all seven gods of good fortune gather, 7 types of happiness will come to you.

Seven Lucky Gods and the Treasure Ship Pilgrimage

During New Year's, visiting 7 temples and shrines that honor the seven gods of good fortune is called the Seven Lucky Gods and the Treasure Ship pilgrimage.
There are pilgrimage routes all over Japan, and many people enjoy walking around them.
Some people look forward to collecting special stamps or small figurines at each stop!