In Japan, animated characters are often depicted with five fingers, in stark contrast to the common four-finger standard used elsewhere. This difference has its roots in a centuries-old societal issue tied to the burakumin caste. While the use of four fingers is a global norm in animation, Japan makes deliberate efforts to avoid it due to cultural sensitivities.

The connection between Japan and the “four-finger debate” can be seen in countless examples, ranging from The Simpsons video game covers to Crash Bandicoot. Some cases have even led to extreme adjustments, such as redesigning Ratchet & Clank to include a fifth finger, or merging the protagonist’s fingers in Psychonauts to bypass potential controversy.

While productions like Mickey Mouse or The Simpsons arrived in Japan retaining their original four-finger designs, local animators have increasingly been asked to modify such designs to avoid offending audiences. In the West, the use of four fingers is primarily due to practicality, but in Japan, the reasons run much deeper.

Why Are Animated Characters Often Depicted with Four Fingers?

If you’ve ever attempted to draw a hand, you’re probably aware of why animators have traditionally opted for four fingers instead of five. Some believe it’s a way to avoid the unsettling “uncanny valley” effect, where hyper-realistic depictions of human features can become disconcerting. However, the true reason is far simpler: efficiency. Once this approach was adopted, it quickly became a standard practice in animation.

Drawing a realistic five-fingered hand is challenging enough, but animating one hundreds of times for a single production amplifies the difficulty. Removing one finger significantly reduces the workload, and the use of gloves, as seen with Mickey Mouse, further streamlines the process.

In Japanese anime, however, characters typically feature five fingers. If simplifications are made, animators may occasionally use three fingers, but they will never resort to four. The reason lies in a deeply rooted cultural taboo.

Japan’s Long-Standing Issue with Four Fingers

To understand this taboo, we must travel back to Feudal Japan during the Tokugawa Shogunate, which implemented a rigid caste system. At the top of the hierarchy stood the samurai, revered and respected, while at the bottom were the burakumin.

The burakumin, consisting of butchers, tanners, and gravediggers, were marginalized due to their association with death, which was considered impure. As a result, they were ostracized from mainstream society and confined to isolated villages. Over generations, this discrimination led to widespread poverty and illiteracy among the burakumin.

Although the caste system was officially abolished, prejudice against the burakumin persists even today. Families and businesses often investigate genealogies to avoid associating with burakumin descendants, despite such practices being illegal. Their traditional work, which often involved the loss of fingers, led to the association of four fingers with this group. Additionally, the number four, pronounced “shi,” is synonymous with death in Japanese culture, further deepening the stigma.

The practice of yakuza members cutting off their pinky fingers as a sign of submission added another layer of negative connotations. While these societal factors might seem unrelated to animation, Japan’s aversion to using four fingers in cartoons stems from a desire to avoid offending cultural sensitivities.

Source: 3djuegos