Lucky and unlucky numbers in Japan - Lingualift (2024)

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What are the lucky and unlucky numbers in Japan? ›

Japanese people tend to be quite superstitious and this is why lucky and unlucky numbers are important. You should never give someone four or nine of something. Gifts are given in threes and fives instead.

In cars and racing, number 42 which sounds like shini (死に – to death) and 49, which sounds like shiku (死苦 - a painful death) are avoided. When giving gifts such as plates, they are normally in sets of three or five, never four.

In Japan, four and nine are considered unlucky numbers because of their pronunciation. Four is pronounced "shi," which is the same pronunciation as death. Nine is pronounced "ku," which has the same pronunciation as agony or torture. In fact, some hospitals and apartments don't have rooms numbered "4" or "9".

Japan 🇯🇵: In Japan, the number 13 is largely seen as unlucky due to its pronunciation. The word for 13, “ju-san,” sounds like “shiju,” which means “to die.” Consequently, many buildings in Japan skip the 13th floor, similar to Western superstitions.

Seven is a lucky number in Japan largely because of its significance in Buddhism. Additionally, seven is used with the Seven Gods of Luck (七福神). Eight is a less popular yet still lucky number. In Japan, fans are a sign of wealth and prosperity, because it spreads from narrow to broad, meant to reflect wealth.

In Chinese culture, the number 9 is considered lucky because it sounds like the word for "long-lasting" in Chinese. It is also associated with the Emperor, who was considered the ninth dynasty in Chinese history. In Japan, the number 9 is considered unlucky because it sounds like the word for "suffering" in Japanese.

hom*ophonic association: The Japanese word for "nine" is "ku" which is hom*ophonous with the Japanese word for "pain" or "suffering". Therefore, the number 9 can be associated with suffering or bad luck.

Among the unlucky years, the most unlucky are thought to be the ages of 42 for men and 33 for women, which are known as daiyakudoshi, or "great-calamity years." The year preceding a yakudoshi year, called a maeyaku (前厄) year, is also considered dangerous, as is the year following one, called atoyaku.

Twins are seen as evil and, therefore, bad luck

Superstitions about twins are frowned upon in Japan. It is said that different sex twins are reincarnation of a couple who died together in their past lives.

Tetraphobia (from Ancient Greek τετράς (tetrás) 'four', and Ancient Greek φόβος (phóbos) 'fear') is the practice of avoiding instances of the digit 4. It is a superstition most common in East Asian nations and is associated with death.

What does 444 mean in Japan? ›

And it is the same pronunciation of 死 which means deth. So, 444 means deth,deth,deth. Recently, The number of people who are concerned the number 4 seems decreasing. But, still now, some people don't like 4.

There are six numbers that are considered unlucky in the Japanese culture and they are 4, 9, 13, 42, 43, 49. Number Four (4) — The number 4 is considered unlucky because it shares the same pronunciation as death Shi for that reason, the number is usually avoided by some Japanese people.

Shichi-Go-San, Seven-Five-Three is a kids festival day for three- and seven-year-old girls and three- and five-year-old boys. In general, odd numbers (except 9) are lucky. The numbers 8, and 10 are lucky too. The word for ten is sometimes lucky because it sounds like the word for “enough”.

The Sinogram for nine is 九 , which coincidentally has one Japanese pronunciation ending in the letter “no” (ここの /kokono/), yet is not that obviously etymologically related if at all. The general shape of “no” can look like a variety of characters.

There are similar inauspicious connections for the other numbers . Thus 19 = “bad luck “, 33 ( ” sanzen”) =” trouble, disaster” and 42 ( 'shi-ni” ) = “death” , or at least so many Japanese believe . I haven't been able to find why the unlucky ages for men are different from those for women and children .

Numbers 4 and 9 are considered to be unlucky numbers because 4 in Japanese is sometimes pronounced し (shi) which means “death”. In Japan, hospitals and some hotels don't have a 4th floor. Often, the room number 4 and rooms 40 through 49 are not there.

The Unlucky Numbers

There are six numbers that are considered unlucky in the Japanese culture and they are 4, 9, 13, 42, 43, 49. Number Four (4) — The number 4 is considered unlucky because it shares the same pronunciation as death Shi for that reason, the number is usually avoided by some Japanese people.

In Japan. In Japan, the number 4 is avoided in apartments and hospitals. The number 49 is also considered unlucky, as its pronunciation is similar to the Japanese term shiku, meaning 'to suffer and die'.