Ebisu (God of Fishermen and Good Fortune) Coloring Page

Meet Ebisu, the beaming god of good business and a bountiful catch. He holds his fishing rod in one hand and cradles a plump red sea bream in the other, and his cheerful smile is famous all on its own — colored in bright, warm tones, this picture practically radiates good luck. Make that fish a vivid, confident red for the full effect. It's a coloring page well suited to senior recreation, care facilities, day services, and at-home brain training alike, and it prints cleanly on standard A4 paper at no cost.

About Ebisu

Ebisu is one of Japan's Seven Lucky Gods (Shichifukujin), a group of folk deities each associated with a different kind of good fortune. While most of the other six trace back to Chinese or Indian traditions, Ebisu is considered the only one native to Japan. He is the patron of fishermen and, by extension, of merchants and everyday trade, and he is almost always shown holding a fishing rod in one hand with a large red sea bream, called tai in Japanese, tucked under his other arm. The tai is itself considered a lucky fish in Japan, prized at celebrations because its name echoes medetai, the Japanese word for 'auspicious.' Ebisu's round, beaming face is so familiar that a broad, easy grin is still called an 'Ebisu smile' in everyday Japanese. Shops, restaurants, and fishing communities across the country hold festivals in his honor, the best known being Toka Ebisu each January, when merchants line up at Ebisu shrines to pray for a prosperous year ahead.

This sheet gives you a good amount of open surface to work with, which makes it a relaxed and satisfying page to color. Start with the sea bream tucked under his arm — a bold, saturated red is the traditional choice here, and it instantly reads as festive and lucky. His tall pointed eboshi hat and the fishing rod can stay simple and dark, which lets his round face and wide smile stand out as the real centerpiece of the picture. His flowing robes leave plenty of room for warm colors — orange, gold, or a soft green all work nicely — and the larger, open areas are easy on the hands, making this a good choice for anyone who prefers big, confident strokes over fine detail.