En Japón, Jurojin (寿 老人) es uno de los Siete Dioses de la Fortuna o Shichifukujin, según las creencias taoístas. Él es el dios de la longevidad. Se originó a partir de la leyenda taoísta de origen chino del viejo hombre del Polo Sur. Se le conoce como el inmortal de la dinastía Song del Norte (960 a 1127), y puede haber sido una figura histórica de ese período. Jurojin se identifica como la personificación de la Estrella Polar del Sur. Se identifica a menudo con Fukurokuju, otro de los varios dioses de la fortuna. En algunas versiones, se dice que los dos habitan en el mismo cuerpo. Los dos son a menudo confundidos. Jurojin camina con un bastón y un abanico. Se le representa como un anciano de baja estatura, y por tradición, con menos de 3 shaku (aproximadamente 90 centímetros (35 pulgadas)). Se le representa con una larga barba blanca y, a menudo muy alto, de cabeza calva. Él tiene un pergamino atado a su persona, en el que se escribe la vida de todos los seres vivos. El ciervo, un símbolo de la longevidad, por lo general (pero no siempre) lo acompaña como un mensajero, como lo hacen otros animales de vida larga como la grulla y la tortuga.

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In Japan, Jurōjin (寿老人) is one of the Seven Gods of Fortune or Shichifukujin, according to Taoist beliefs. He is the God of longevity. Jurōjin originated from the Chinese Taoist god, the Old Man of the South Pole. He is known as the immortal of the Northern Song dynasty (960 – 1127), and may have been a historical figure of the period. Jurōjin is identified as the personification of the Southern Polar Star. While paintings and statues of Jurōjin are considered auspicious, he never developed a following independent of the other deities Seven Gods of Fortune. Jurōjin is often identified with Fukurokuju, another of the Several Gods of Fortune. In some accounts, the two are said to inhabit the same body. As such, the two are often confused. Jurōjin walks with a staff and a fan. He is depicted as an old man of slight stature, and by tradition, less than 3 shaku (approximately 90 centimetres (35 in)). He is depicted with a long white beard and often a very tall, bald head. He has a scroll tied to his staff, on which is written the lifespan of all living things. The scroll is sometimes identified as a Buddhist sutra. The deer, a symbol of longevity, usually (but not always) accompanies him as a messenger, as do other long-lived animals such as the crane and the tortoise. Jurōjin is a popular subject of Japanese ink wash paintings. He was introduced into the Japanese art tradition by Zen Buddhist painters, and depictions of Jurōjin span from the Muromachi period (1337 – 1573) through the Edo period (1603 – 1868). Artists who depicted Jurōjin as a subject include Sesshū (1420 – 1506), Sesson Shukei (1504 – 1589), Kanō Tan'yū (1602 – 1674), and Maruyama Ōkyo (1733 – 1795).

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