JAPANESE NUMERALS

The Japanese numerals where invented by the Japan’s newton called Sezi Takakazu who lived from 1642
to 1708 in Tokyo.

The Japanese numerals are the number names used in the Japanese writing, they are the same as the
Chinese numerals and large numbers follow the Chinese style of grouping.

Two pronunciations are used; the sino-japanese (on’yomi) readings of the Chinese characters and the
Japanese yamato kotoba (native words) kun’yomi readings.

There are two ways of writing numbers in the Japanese;

 In Arabic numerals
 In Chinese numerals

N.B: The Arabic numerals are more often in the horizontal writing and the Chinese numerals are more
common in the vertical writing.

SAMPLE JAPANESE NUMERALS

NOTE:

 Japanese numbers are same as Chinese numbers because a large portion of the Japanese
writing is made up of Kanji which are characters imported from Chinese.
 4 and 7 have two ways to be said in Japanese because they all have the word (shi) which sounds
like the Japanese word to mean death and (shichi) which means place of death. Therefore levels
 or rooms in hotels, hospitals particularly maternity sections with number 4 don’t exist like 43 as
long it has word shi instead they say yon and nana for 4 and 7 respectively.
 Besides the pronunciation of 7 as shichi, its regarded as the lucky number and 8 as well because
of their significance in Buddhism. Besides seven is used with the seven Gods of luck.