Lucky and unlucky numbers in Japan - Lingualift (2024)

FAQs

What is the unluckiest number in Japan? ›

Traditionally, 4 is unlucky because it is sometimes pronounced shi, which is the word for death. Sometimes levels or rooms with 4 do not exist in hospitals or hotels. Particularly in the maternity section of a hospital, the room number 43 is avoided because it can literally mean "stillbirth".

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.

Eight (八, hachi, ya) is also considered a lucky number in Japan, but the reason is different from that in Chinese culture. Eight gives an idea of growing prosperous, because the letter (八) broadens gradually. The Japanese thought of eight (や, ya) as a holy number in the ancient times.

It is known that Japanese tend to be superstitious. There are certain things or circ*mstances that are uniquely explained sometimes through superstitious beliefs. One of those things are the concept about Lucky Numbers! Did you know that the number 3 is considered as one of the lucky numbers in Japan?

In Japan, the number 4 is avoided in some 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'.

While not traditionally considered an unlucky number, 4 has in recent times, gained an association with bad luck because of its pronunciation, predominantly for the Cantonese. The belief that the number 4 is unlucky originated in China, where the Chinese have avoided the number since ancient times.

For Japanese people, since ancient times the number eight has been sacred. They believed that the number had special powers.

Ebisu (えびす, 恵比須, 恵比寿, 夷, 戎), also transliterated Webisu (ゑびす, see historical kana orthography) or called Hiruko (蛭子) or Kotoshiro-nushi-no-kami (事代主神), is the Japanese god of fishermen and luck.

The Mystery of the Five-Yen Coin

Go-en in Japanese has the same pronunciation as the word for destiny, or fortuitous encounters. At the heart of this tradition lies the connection between the go-en coin and destiny, a belief that has touched countless lives and dreams.

Is 8 a holy number? ›

The number eight is just as significant in scripture as the numbers which precede it. God has designated it to be the number of regeneration, or resurrection. Eight also denotes a new beginning. It represents those who are connected to God through the Spirit of Life.

Omamori are usually covered with brocaded silk and enclose paper or pieces of wood with prayers written on them, which are supposed to bring good luck to the bearer on particular occasions, tasks, or ordeals.

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.

So red was acceptable for a temple, a toaster or a flag but taboo for men's clothing. Red was a “forbidden colour”. “Forbidden Colours”. That was the title of a British pop song in the 1980s inspired by a Yukio Mishima novel of the same name.

The numeral 33, for example, can be pronounced sanzan, which may mean either "troublesome" or "birth difficulty," the numeral 42 can be pronounced shi ni, meaning "to death," and the number 19 can be pronounced jū ku, meaning "intense suffering." In 1955, the anthropologist Edward Norbeck dismissed such explanations as ...

Background: The numbers 4, 14 and 24 are associated with death for Cantonese-speaking Chinese people, as the words for these numbers sound like the words for "death", "must die" and "easy to die", respectively.

In Korean, the number 4 is pronounced as “sa,” which sounds similar to the Korean word for death, also pronounced as “sa.” This hom*ophonic association has led to the belief that the number 4 is associated with death and bad luck.

In many East Asian cultures, including China, Korea, Japan and Taiwan, the number four is steeped in superstition. This fear of the number four, or tetraphobia, holds so much power that many buildings skip the fourth floor, much like how some Western buildings omit the 13th.