maestrowork
Four and Shi...
I believe that's Chinese, not Japanese.
However, it is curious to note that group of 4's (or multiples) are prominent in Chinese culture. E.g. like I mentioned before, majongg is played by four players. The Gang of Four during the Cultural Revolution. The four seasons. Four walls of Imperial Palace. The "Heavenly Gods" is a group of four. The four major directions (may I remind you that the Chinese first invented the compass). A poem in its simplest form has four verses. Idioms and sayings usually have four characters/words (e.g. "Kung Hei Fat Choy"). The number "4" symbolizes stability (like a fort with four sides). Pagodas usually have 4 or 8 sides (some have 6, but rarely so). I Ching has 16 symbols.
I believe that's Chinese, not Japanese.
However, it is curious to note that group of 4's (or multiples) are prominent in Chinese culture. E.g. like I mentioned before, majongg is played by four players. The Gang of Four during the Cultural Revolution. The four seasons. Four walls of Imperial Palace. The "Heavenly Gods" is a group of four. The four major directions (may I remind you that the Chinese first invented the compass). A poem in its simplest form has four verses. Idioms and sayings usually have four characters/words (e.g. "Kung Hei Fat Choy"). The number "4" symbolizes stability (like a fort with four sides). Pagodas usually have 4 or 8 sides (some have 6, but rarely so). I Ching has 16 symbols.