Japanese people don't get excited about the number 13 the way Westerners do. Lacking the cultural history of the Knights Templar on Friday 13, they aren't in a position to have any particular negative associations with this number.
Instead, they are easily spooked by four and nine.
The number 4 in Japanese is pronounced ‘shi’ and 'yotsu'. The first pronunciation, the on-yomi, is a hom*ophone for death. The characters are different, of course: 四 for 4 and 死 for death, but the sound is the same, and that’s the point.
In Japan, hospitals tend not to have ward 4. Further, products tend not to be sold in packs of four in Japan, and there’s a famous, and possibly apocryphal, story of an American golf ball manufacturer attempting to break into the Japanese market but failing miserably because their balls came in four-packs. Everything from chopsticks to dining sets is sold in packs of three or five, even though the typical Japanese family does have four members because of a tendency to stop at two children.
The number 9 is pronounced ‘ku’ (also ‘kyu’), and ‘ku’ also means suffering. The characters here are 九 for “9” and 苦 for “suffering”. The pronunciation creates an undesirable association, and so hospitals also avoid having a ward 9.
But a typical high school will have more than nine classes per grade, the the number nine is used when referring to that particular group. So despite the association, the number nine is still used frequently, at least outside of situations that are strongly associated with suffering.
None of this is much of a problem when learning the language. Japanese people generally do not expect foreigners to know their culture well, and are often surprised and even a bit put off when they do.
Instead, knowing about these numbers will help you navigate in Japan a little more carefully and precisely, since you'll know what to expect and what not to expect. You can also avoid a bit of confusion, for instance when shopping for household items. Looking for packs of four items will likely be fruitless, and asking for the ninth ward in a hospital will get you nowhere, since it probably does not exist.
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FAQs
For Japanese people, since ancient times the number eight has been sacred. They believed that the number had special powers.
What are the cursed Japanese numbers? ›
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. Number 9 is sometimes pronounced ku — with the same pronunciation as agony or torture.
What does the number 9 mean in Japanese? ›
The number 9 is also considered unlucky; when pronounced ku, it is a hom*ophone for suffering (苦). The number 13 is sometimes considered unlucky, though this is a carryover from Western tradition. In contrast, 7 and sometimes 8 are considered lucky in Japanese.
Why is 7 lucky in Japan? ›
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.
What does 444 mean 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.
What does 13 mean in Japan? ›
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.
What number is forbidden in Japan? ›
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.
What number is bad in Japanese? ›
The numbers 4, 9, 14, 19, 24, 29, 33, 42, 43, 45, 49 and 893 are thought to be very unlucky in Japanese culture. The number 4 can sound like 'shi,' meaning death. The number 9 can sound like 'ku,' meaning pain, agony or suffering.
What number is cursed? ›
The curse of 39, also referred to as triakontenneaphobia, is the fear of the number 39. In some parts of Afghanistan, the number is considered to be cursed or a badge of shame as it is purportedly linked with prostitution.
Is the number 7 important in Japan? ›
During the course of their history, the mutual influence between gods has created confusion about which of them was the patron of certain professions. The worship of this group of gods is also due to the importance of the number seven in Japan, supposedly a signifier of good luck.
Like many countries throughout the world, Japan considers the number seven lucky. This is not imported, but steeped in the country's religious traditions.
What is the taboo number in Japan? ›
The numbers 4, 9, 14, 19, 24, 29, 33, 42, 43, 45, 49 and 893 are thought to be very unlucky in Japanese culture. The number 4 can sound like 'shi,' meaning death. The number 9 can sound like 'ku,' meaning pain, agony or suffering.
What is Japanese for 7? ›
Native Japanese counting: “hitotsu” (1), “futatsu” (2), “mittsu” (3), “yottsu” (4), “itsutsu” (5), “muttsu” (6), “nanatsu” (7), “yattsu” (8), “kokonotsu” (9), and “tou” (10). Sino-Japanese reading can be found in the table below under “English pronunciation.” It has two reading options for numbers 4, 7, and 9.
