In Mandarin the number is pronounced the same way as death. I have been told that the Japanese also maintained those pronunciations. The number was financially unhappy for the company that built a beautiful complex in Downtown San Diego. read more
The pronouciation of the number four (四) is the same as the word for death/die (死) in mandarin, the dominant dialect in China. The Japanese and Korean language take from Chinese and as a result also the superstitious beliefs associated with it. read more
But in official explanations, “four” , as other numbers, doesn’t necessary relate to bad luck. In traditional Chinese culture, four is the number of seasons and directions, thus four is more related to the continuation, circulation, immortality and completeness of space and time. read more
9: Just as the number four has a bad-luck soundalike in Chinese, 9 is feared in Japan because it sounds similar to the Japanese word for torture or suffering. read more