numbers

NUMBERS in KANJI

Your best bet would be to get a book on Japanese kanji, all of which would have the numbers
from one to ten. Larger numerals do come in handy in some cases--like the wartime Imperial
dating system where 1940 is Year 2600--but generally speaking know the numbers up to ten.
As throughout this site, I will include only pictures that are on cups. My camera doesn't have a
nice zoom lens, so other kanji might show up in the pictures, too.

There are three ways of writing that you should be aware of: modern style (with individual
variations), old-style (in standard use before the simplification of kanji after the war), and
classical style (not for general use, just stylistically pleasing, very classy). I'll try to get
examples of each kind.

1 to 10

Here is one of the problems when confronted with a number--the idiosyncrasies of the writer, who may not be writing in a
clear hand. Another: the old, classical style that even many Japanese people cannot read! I've included a variety of the
number four to illustrate a few of the difficulties.

Once you have mastered the first ten numbers in kanji, you must then tackle the problem of reading them in combination,
which at first glance doesn't seem too difficult. A few hints: Most of the time the numbers are read from right to left. Also,
if there is a ten after another number, that multiplies the former number by ten.

DATES

As you may know, as far as military sake cups are concerned, there are
three main eras, Meiji (1868-1912), Taisho (1912-1926), and Showa
(1926-1988). The kanji for these three eras often appear on cups.

Taisho

In dates, these characters often appear: YEAR
(nen) and MONTH (gatsu). Both will be preceded
by a number. So GATSU preceded by a four
would be the fourth month, or April.

Here is the number seven preceded by a ten, becoming 17. Before the ten is
the simplified version of DAI, which changes the 17 into 17th. After this is the
compound for regiment (not shown in the photo). So this was made for a
member of the 17th Regiment.

If you want to be able to fully understand what is written on your cups, you must master
numbers in kanji. These were written for two reasons: 1. to identify the regiment or division,
and 2. to indicate a date. Rarely are the numerals written in the Arabic style Westerners are
used to; almost always in kanji. There are some exceptions, like when shown on a collar tab.
Also, the zero has a difficult kanji that is rarely used, so when a zero is on a cup, it is in a shape
easy to recognize. (See below.)

5 in
the
center

6 in
the
center

Old-style 2

Classical style 8

Here we have three
numbers, 5, 10, and 4. The
first number is 5, followed
by a ten, which means 50.
The last number is a 4, so
the number is 54.

But the middle 10 is often
left out. Here is a 6 and a
2, combined in this case
to mean 62.

Classical-style 4

We can tell that this number is 62, not 26,
because it is preceded by HO, an
abbreviation for Infantry (HO-HEI). HO will
always be before the number, not after it.
REN-TAI (regiment) will always be after the
number.

And sometimes the kanji for ten is substituted
by the Arabic zero. This number is 70, also
preceded by HO.

'Taisho' classical style

Showa

NEN
(year)

GATSU
(month)

Another variation! HO is followed by a
possessive mark read NO. This does not affect
the number. The two numbers are 10 and then 9,
therefore 19: Infantry 19th [regiment].

Old-style 3