The new year brings a fresh start, symbolized in some cultures by the cherubic baby New Year who replaces the old year that ...

In 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 ...

Tucked away in the folds of the peaceful mountain town of Sasaguri, just north of the bustling city of Fukuoka, rests the Buddhist retreat of Nanzo-in temple where a bronze titan can be found jutting ...

There the Great Buddha of Kamakura sits, as he has done for hundreds of years, with a gentle smile on his face. He’s the same green as the Statue of Liberty but, unlike her, is seated—and not standing ...

(The Conversation) — Hotei, a Japanese god who carries a large sack, has come to be identified with Santa Claus – except that he brings the goodies on New Year’s Day instead of Christmas. (The ...