User blog comment:Jopjopjop/SlashDog/@comment-181.131.134.127-20150310212758/@comment-73.178.133.185-20150311000757

Whoops, missed that last 'e' in Japanese.

To reinterate, I choose to use the Chinese name for the Sacred Beasts because: 1) in order to avoid confusion with the people named after them; 2) due to the use of the Chinese Five Elements (wood, water, metal, fire, and earth) rather than Japanese Five Elements (earth, fire, water, wind, void); 3) I simply like the Chinese names better. (I also use Sìshén (Four Gods) to translate 四神 instead of Shishinl and Sìxiōng (Four Fiends) to translate 四凶 instead of Shikyō)

As for the Vietnamese "Four Holy Beasts" they equate to the Chinese "Four Benevolent Animals" not the "Four Symbols", hence why they are different creatures.