What is 4649?
The story of Japanese number wordplay culture
🔢What is Goroawase?
Goroawase (語呂合わせ) is Japanese number wordplay where digits are assigned phonetic readings to spell out words. This is possible because Japanese numbers have multiple pronunciations from different counting systems.
For example, "4" can be read as "yon," "shi," or "yo," while "6" can be "roku" or "ro." Combined, "4649" becomes "yo-ro-shi-ku," spelling "yoroshiku" - a greeting meaning "pleased to meet you" or "please treat me well."
How to Read 4649
よ (yo)
from 四 (yon/yo)
ろ (ro)
from 六 (roku)
し (shi)
from 四 (shi)
く (ku)
from 九 (ku/kyuu)
よろしく
"Please treat me kindly" - A warm Japanese greeting
History of 4649
First Pagers in Japan
NTT introduces the first pager service in Japan, initially for business use.
Numeric Messaging Era Begins
Pagers become affordable for teens. Users start sending numeric codes as creative messages.
Goroawase Culture Explodes
4649 (yoroshiku), 0840 (ohayo), 889 (bye-bye) become standard. Magazines publish code dictionaries.
Peak Pager Era
10+ million pager users in Japan. 4649 becomes the most iconic number code.
Mobile Phones Take Over
Pagers decline but number codes live on in car plates, phone numbers, and internet culture.
Last Pager Service Ends
Tokyo Telemessage shuts down Japan's last pager service after 50 years.
4649 Goes Web3
$4649 token launches on Solana, bringing Goroawase culture to the blockchain era.
📟Pager Culture
Why Numbers?
Pagers in the 1990s could only transmit numbers. Japanese teens got creative, using number homophones to express emotions. Constraints bred culture.
The Schoolgirl Revolution
High school girls drove this culture. They would line up at payphones after school to message friends. 4649 became a symbol of friendship and connection.
A typical pager message
0840 14106 4649!
Good morning, I love you, take care!
4649 Today
License Plates
Popular as lucky number plates
Social Media
Used in usernames and comments
Gaming Culture
Used in scores and gamertags