the four gods 青龍(せいりょう) (Seiryō), 朱雀(すざく) (Suzaku), 白虎(びゃっこ) (Byakko), 玄武(げんぶ) (Genbu), imported to Japan from Chinese mythology

(Buddhism) the four kinds of suffering: birth, old age, disease and death

four sixes; twenty-four

(Buddhism) the four stages of existence: 生有(しょうう) (shōu, “moment of birth”), 本有(ほんぬ) (honnu, “life”), 死有(しう) (shiu, “moment of death”), and 中有(ちゅうう) (chūu, “state between death and the next reincarnation”)

(game of Go) ladder

four people

Synonym of 四季 (shiki, “four seasons”) / four (o'clock)

a philosophy in Shintoism; within one's own heart there exists four 'souls', in either their positive (直霊(なおび) (naobi) and/or negative (禍津日(まがつひ) (magatsuhi) aspects, and that it is the interactions between these four souls, in either aspect, and in varying amounts and levels, that can influence the ups and downs in that person's character, good or bad.

a male given name

a surname