Goroawase 語呂合わせ

goroawase · from Japanese

What is goroawase?

Goroawase is Japanese wordplay that reads numbers as words via their various readings, used for mnemonics, phone numbers and dates.

Japanese digits have several readings (native, Sino-Japanese and English-derived), so almost any number can be read as a phrase. Students memorise historical dates and constants this way, and businesses pick phone numbers that spell their service. Special days are set by goroawase, such as 10 August (8/10, ha-to) as Heart Day.

Examples

4649 yo-ro-shi-ku (よろしく, nice to meet you); 39 san-kyū (thank you); 794 nakuyo (鳴くよ) for the year 794 (Heian-kyō founded); 8/10 ハート hāto (heart)

Kungfucius says: In Japan, 4649 is not a number, it is a greeting.