The Traditional Japanese Time System
The typical clock had six numbered hours from 9 to 4, which counted backwards from noon until midnight; the hour numbers 1 through 3 were not used in Japan for religious reasons, because these numbers of strokes were used by Buddhists to call to prayer. The count ran backwards because the earliest Japanese artificial timekeepers used the burning of incense to count down the time. Dawn and dusk were therefore both marked as the sixth hour in the Japanese timekeeping system.
In addition to the numbered temporal hours, each hour was assigned a sign from the Japanese zodiac. Starting at dawn, the six daytime hours were:
| Zodiac sign | Zodiac symbol | Japanese numeral | Strike | Solar time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hare | 卯 | 六 | 6 | sunrise |
| Dragon | 辰 | 五 | 5 | |
| Serpent | 巳 | 四 | 4 | |
| Horse | 午 | 九 | 9 | noon |
| Ram | 未 | 八 | 8 | |
| Monkey | 申 | 七 | 7 |
From dusk, the six nighttime hours were:
| Zodiac sign | Zodiac symbol | Japanese numeral | Strike | Solar time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cock | 酉 | 六 | 6 | sunset |
| Dog | 戌 | 五 | 5 | |
| Boar | 亥 | 四 | 4 | |
| Rat | 子 | 九 | 9 | midnight |
| Ox | 丑 | 八 | 8 | |
| Tiger | 寅 | 七 | 7 |
Read more about this topic: Japanese Clock
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