Japanese Number Converter

Japanese uses two number systems: native Japanese numbers (和語, wago) — ひとつ, ふたつ, みっつ — used for counting general objects up to 10, and Sino-Japanese numbers (漢語, kango) — いち, に, さん — used for most counting, math, addresses, phone numbers, and prices. Both systems are essential for daily communication.

Numbers are written in three ways: Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) for most practical uses, kanji (一, 二, 三) for formal documents and traditional contexts, and hiragana/katakana for readings and furigana. Our converter handles all three representations so you can quickly find any number in the format you need.

In modern Japan, Arabic numerals are used in most everyday situations — prices, addresses, phone numbers, and digital displays. Kanji numbers appear on formal documents, certificates, legal papers, traditional signage, and when writing vertically. Bank forms in Japan often require amounts written in both Arabic numerals and formal kanji (大字, daiji) to prevent fraud.

For the JFT Basic exam and JLPT, you need to read both formats comfortably. The kanji for 1–10 (一 through 十) and 百 (100), 千 (1,000), 万 (10,000) are considered basic knowledge. Recognizing these instantly helps with reading prices, room numbers, dates, and quantities throughout the exam.

Japanese groups large numbers differently from English. While English uses commas every three digits (thousand, million, billion), Japanese groups by four digits using 万 (man, 10,000), 億 (oku, 100,000,000), and 兆 (chō, 1,000,000,000,000). This means 100,000 is not "one hundred thousand" but 十万 (jūman, "ten ten-thousands").

This grouping difference is the source of many conversion mistakes for English speakers. Prices in Japan frequently use 万 — a salary of 25万円 means 250,000 yen. When you see job listings or rent prices in Japan, being able to quickly parse 万-based numbers is a daily practical skill that this converter helps you practice.

Numbers appear throughout the JFT Basic exam. Listening sections include prices at shops, times and schedules, phone numbers, floor numbers, and quantities. Reading sections feature numbers on signs, receipts, forms, and notices. Being able to hear and process numbers quickly in Japanese is one of the most practical skills tested.

Pay special attention to numbers that sound similar: しち (7) vs いち (1), and the sound changes when combining numbers with counters. Practice with our converter to build familiarity with how numbers look in kanji and sound in hiragana, so recognition becomes automatic during the timed exam.