The Chinese Laughing Buddha was incorporated into the Japanese "Seven Lucky Gods" as Hotei. Perhaps that explains its presence in a Japanese restaurant?

I don't know about rococo... most statues of the Laughing Buddha in Thailand seem just plain tacky to me. The only beautiful ones I've seen are the white jade statues at Wat Phra Kaeo, Chiang Rai.

At Wat Rampoeng, in the abbot's report room where meditators go to recount their daily progress, there is a collection of Buddha images from all over the Buddhist world. I personally see it as a nice reminder that the Dhamma can be found in many flavours and shapes. Including both the classic laughing gold Buddha and less gaudy variations.

It seems the campaign hasn't had much effect yet. In the new remake of Total Recall there is a 10-foot-high Buddha head in the Rekall Lab, plus a variety of smaller images. The head appears to be of the Kamakura Daibutsu, so I guess we can let the Japanese Pure Land followers worry about it.

The beauty of the Buddha image is that it is one that is recognised almost universally as one of serenity,knowledge and peace and if it brings just one person to seek out the knowledge of the Dhamma then I would regard it as a good thing, Surely there are far greater things for these knowing Buddha guys to concentrate on in Thailand than the sale of Buddha images in Jatujak and Khao San Road..

Though Buddha Beer is pushing it a bit !

http://thebuddhasface.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/buddha-beer-are-you-feeling-lucky.html