When you’re choosing how many of something to give (a set of cups, pieces of fruit, individually wrapped snacks in a box you’re assembling yourself), avoid landing on four or nine specifically. Other quantities are fine.
Pre-packaged gift sets sold in Japan are already designed around this, so it mostly comes up if you’re building a gift yourself or bringing something from outside the country that happens to come in a set of four.
- This is the Japanese counterpart to Korea’s “avoid sets of four” — same homophone logic (four/death), with nine added as a second unlucky number specific to Japan.
- It’s most strictly observed with gifts to elders, hospital visits, and formal occasions — casual gifts among friends are more relaxed about it.