noun
smiling Buddha statue; laughing Buddha
Refers to a statue of a smiling or laughing Buddha, often associated with Hotei (布袋) or Maitreya. Common in Buddhist temples and as a symbol of happiness.
お寺の入り口に笑い仏が置いてあった。
A smiling Buddha statue was placed at the entrance of the temple.
この笑い仏は福を招くと言われている。
This laughing Buddha is said to bring good fortune.
Hotei is the specific deity often depicted as the laughing Buddha; 笑い仏 is the statue itself, not the deity.
Maitreya Bodhisattva is sometimes depicted with a smiling expression, but 笑い仏 is a more general term for any smiling Buddha statue.
Compound of 笑い (warai, 'smile/laugh') and 仏 (hotoke, 'Buddha'), with rendaku voicing hotoke → botoke. The term straightforwardly describes a statue of a smiling or laughing Buddha.