The Japanese language has two words for the number four, "shi" and "yon", with "shi" associated with death and bad luck, while "yon" is considered neutral. This distinction originates from Chinese culture's belief that the number four was unlucky because it sounded like the word for death in Chinese. The negative association with the number four is reinforced by kanji characters borrowed from Chinese, which also mean "death". Superstition and Buddhism have also influenced Japanese attitudes towards death and mourning. Understanding cultural beliefs and superstitions is important when learning a new language or communicating with people from different cultures.