Lucky/unlucky
Japanese numbers

• There are several unlucky numbers in Japanese. Traditionally, 4 and 9 are unlucky. Four is sometimes pronounced shi, which is also the word for death. Nine is also sometimes pronounced ku, which can mean suffering. 13 is also occasionally thought of as unlucky, although this is imported from Western culture. Because of these unlucky numbers, sometimes levels or rooms with 4 or 9 in them don't exist in hospitals or hotels, and particularly in the maternity section of a hospital, the room number 43 is avoided because it can literally mean "still birth". Therefore, when giving gifts such as sets of plates, they are normally sets of three or five, never four.
  
  
• The Shichi-fuku-jin (七福神) is the Seven Gods of Luck in Japanese folklore. They are comical deities, often portrayed riding together on a treasure ship (takarabune). They carry various magical items such as an invisible hat, rolls of brocade, an inexhaustible purse, a lucky rain hat, robes of feathers, keys to the divine treasure house and important books and scrolls. Here are the names and the features of the Shichi-fuku-jin.
  
  
  
  
  
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• Daikoku (大黒) --- The god of wealth and farmers. He holds a big bag filled with treasures on his shoulder and an uchideno-kozuchi (lucky mallet) in his hand.
  
  
• Bishamon (毘沙門) --- The god of war and warriors. He wears a suit of armor, a helmet and is armed with a sword.
  
  
• Ebisu (恵比寿) --- The god of fishermen and wealth. He holds a large, red tai (sea bream) and a fishing rod.
  
  
• Fukurokuju (福禄寿) --- The god of longevity. He has an elongated bald head and a white beard.
  
  
• Juroujin (寿老人) --- Another god of longevity. He wears a long white beard and a scholar's cap, and is often accompanied by a stag, which is his messenger.
  
  
• Hotei (布袋) --- The god of happiness. He has a jolly face and a big fat belly.
  
  
• Benzaiten (弁財天) --- The goddess of music. She carries a biwa (Japanese mandolin).

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There is another numerical system in Japanese, which is the native Japanese numbers. The native Japanese numbers are limited to one through ten.

Japanese Numbers:

0	zero/rei	零
1	ichi	一
2	ni	二
3	san	三
4	shi/yon	四
5	go	五
6	roku	六
7	shichi/nana	七
8	hachi	八
9	kyuu/ku	九
10	juu	十
11	juuichi	十一
12	juuni	十二
13	juusan	十三
14	juushi	十四
15	juugo	十五
16	juuroku	十六
17	juushichi	十七
18	juuhachi	十八
19	juuku	十九
20	nijuu	二十
21	nijuuichi	二十一
22	nijuuni	二十一
etc
30	sanjuu	三十
31	sanjuuichi	三十一
32	sanjuuni	三十二
etc
40	yonjuu	四十
50	gojuu	五十
60	rokujuu	六十
70	nanajuu	七十
80	hachijuu	八十
90	kyuujuu	九十
100	hyaku	百
150	hyakugojuu	百五十
200	nihyaku	二百
300	sanbyaku	三百
1000	sen	千

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