These words, with their meanings as given by a Japanese lexicon, are as follows: 10,000, or 10^4, maen = enormous number.
10^8, oku = a compound of the words "man" and "mind." 10^12, chio = indication, or symptom.
10^16, kei = capital city.
10^20, si = a term referring to grains.
10^24, owi = ---- 10^28, jio = extent of land.
10^32, ko = canal.
10^36, kan = some kind of a body of water.
10^40, sai = justice.
10^44, s[=a] = support.
10^48, kioku = limit, or more strictly, ultimate.
.01^2, rin = ---- .01^3, mo = hair (of some animal).
.01^4, shi = thread.
In addition to these, some of the lower fractional values are described by words meaning "very small," "very fine thread," "sand grain," "dust," and "very vague." Taken altogether, the Japanese number system is the most remarkable I have ever examined, in the extent and variety of the higher numerals with well-defined descriptive names.

Most of the terms employed are such as to defy any attempt to trace the process of reasoning which led to their adoption.

It is not improbable that the choice was, in some of these cases at least, either accidental or arbitrary; but still, the changes in word meanings which occur with the lapse of time may have differentiated significations originally alike, until no trace of kinship would appear to the casual observer.

Our numerals "score" and "gross" are never thought of as having any original relation to what is conveyed by the other meanings which attach to these words.

But the origin of each, which is easily traced, shows that, in the beginning, there existed a well-defined reason for the selection of these, rather than other terms, for the numbers they now describe.