Japan word of the year

How did the Japanese perceive 2022? Let’s look for hints with the Word of the Year selection, unveiled each early December by Jiyû Kokuminsha, the publisher of the annual Gendai Yôgo no Kiso Chishiki («Encyclopedia of contemporary words») in association with U-Can, another publisher and provider of distance education courses. Since 1984, about thirty words are analyzed, among which ten of them are chosen at the end of the year to constitute the U-Can shingo-ryûkô go top 10 («U-Can Top 10 of neologisms and trend words»).

The jury was composed of six panelists: intellectuals from the academic world, arts, press and entertainment sectors, and Jiyû Kokuminsha’s encyclopedia publication director. The 10 words or expressions of the final ranking are chosen for what they show of Japanese society at the moment.

Japan’s 2022 year was specially impacted by the murder of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the background of the lingering Coronavirus 🦠, even if it was directly mentioned by only 2 words. International politics are barely represented with only one reference to Ukraine, and the words’ selection overall does not show an exciting year, even if sport is still a safe field.

村神様 (Murakami-sama) is the word of the year 2022

Again, the word of the year relates to Japan’s national sport, baseball, and focuses on Munetaka Murakami of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows professional team. He is indeed, at 22 years old, the youngest player to win the batting Triple Crown, that is to say to be ranked 1rst in the 3 statistical categories of this position in the season. He notably performed 56 home run. His fans refer to him as «god» or «godly,» replacing the second character of his name 上 (kami, «up») by 神 (kami, «god») to highlight his talent.

The rest of the Top 10: an eclectic selection

2. キーウ (Kiiu)

The name of the Ukrainian capital ranks 2nd, to remind of the war ongoing since February 24. The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on March 31 that henceforth all communication would use the Ukrainian transcription キーウ (Kiiu) instead of the former Russian transcription キエフ (Kiefu) to show support to the country under attack.

3. きつねダンス (Kitsune Dance)

On a much lighter tone, Kitsune Dance is a song and choreography performed by the cheerleaders of the Hokkaidô Nihon Ham Fighters baseball professional team, and as viral as Baby Shark. The girls dance cutely, wearing hairy fox ears and a fox tail on their skirts. The moves are easy so anyone can dance to cheer on their team.

4. 国葬儀 (Kokusôgi)

Oddly only ranked 4th, said state funeral was for Shinzo Abe, former Prime Minister of Japan, killed in July 2022 during an election rally. While Japanese politicians were almost unanimously convinced of the necessity of a national homage, the population was not really on the same page, and there were even agitated demonstrations against it. Contrary to its habit, the government ignored the opinion polls showing a strong opposition, which was partly based on the financial burden the state funeral would add to the public finances, and therefore alienated part of the Japanese population.

5. 宗教２世 (Shûkyô nisei)

Shûkyô nisei is a tag for people educated according to the principles of a religion their parents converted to. It was put under the spotlight in the wake of Shinzo Abe’s assassination by a man who accused the Unification Church and the former Prime Minister, who had close ties with the religious group, of ruining his family.

6. 知らんけど (Shiran’ kedo)

«Shiran’ kedo» is a closing phrase used in a relatively carefree way, to avoid being too assertive. Originating from the Kansai area, its use spread to the whole country and the number of people using it is noticeably increasing. According to U-can panelists, people tend to use this phrase more due to the new social habits developed in Covid times, and particularly the one of avoiding meeting people in person, and people all-together.

7. スマホショルダー (Sumahoshorudâ)

This portmanteau word is made from «smartphone 📱» and «shoulder» and refers to a pouch and / or a lanyard to hold one’s smartphone around the neck or on the shoulder and leave the hands free. This word was chosen to highlight the ubiquity of smartphone in society, and especially among young people who use it intensively. The device has almost become an extension of the body.

8. てまえどり (Temae dori)

Temae dori is a reference to the way fresh food is laid out in supermarkets or konbinis’ aisles: quite logically, food with the nearest expiry date is placed at the front. Anti food waste campaigns remind that if the food is to be eaten quickly, it is safe to take the products at the front, as the expired food is thrown away anyway.

9. Yakult (ヤクルト) 1000

It is the name of one of the last products of the Yakult brand, renowned for its probiotic drinks. Yakult 1000 is advertised as having the highest content of Lactobacillus casei Shirota, a beneficial bacteria, in their dietary supplement range. As Coronavirus is lingering, the beverage is considered as a way to boost the immune system, reduce stress, induce a good sleep and help bowel functions. To the point that it is often out of stock.

10. 悪い円安 (Warui en’yasu)

The word describes the historical low level of the Yen 💴, even breaking 30-years old records ($1 for ¥152). Companies listed on the stock exchange do benefit from it, but not households who have to face a rise of the consumption prices due to this «unfavorably weak yen.» Inflation is also impacting Japan, though not at the same levels than the United States or Europe.

Special Prize: 青春って、すごく密なので (Seishun’tte, sugoku mitsu nanode)

«A youth disrupted by a lot of restrictions» are words said by Wataru Sue, the coach of the winning team of the high-school Koshien this summer, to praise the young athletes. Not only is it the first time a team originating from the Tohoku area wins the prestigious baseball championship, but it also happened in a time where young people’s life was greatly limited by the constraints due to Covid, and especially the 3 C (or 3密 san-mitsu, 2020’s word of the year).

Sports always under the spotlight

Subjects were not as clearly divided as in 2021, but sport is still an important topic (2 words in the Top 10) with 3 other words related to baseball: 大谷ルール (Ootani rule), in reference to Shohei Ohtani who made history by being selected at both pitcher and hitter positions for the same game in the US major league. Reiwa no Kaibutsu (令和の怪物, «Monster of the Reiwa Era») is the nickname given to Rôki Sasaki (born in 2001), pitcher for the Chiba Lotte Marines, who broke Shohei Ohtani’s high-school fastball record (160 km/h) by throwing a 163-kilometre-per-hour (101 mph) fastball. BIGBOSS is an affectionate nickname for Tsuyoshi Shinjô, the coach of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters for the 2022 season, who occasionally dances the Kitsune Dance to cheer on his team.

Coronavirus is directly mentionned by only 2 words (compared to at least 7 in 2021): オミクロン株 Omicron kabu, the Omicron strain identified in Japan from November 2021, and 顔パンツ kao pantsu (face underwear) as the sanitary mask 😷 has become an essential item for going out, as much as an underwear, to the point of feeling «ashamed if not wearing it.»

On the political and economical aspects, the ruling government has not been forgotten with 丁寧な説明 (teinei na setsumei) «a detailed explanation,» an expression used by Kishida Cabinet to avoid answering touchy questions. A new fiscal system (インボイス制度, Invoice seido, Invoice-based system) that is to be implemented from October 2023 also caught the panelists’ attention. Lastly, a Ministry of children and family (こども家庭庁, Kodomo katei chô) will be initiated from 2023, April 1rst, for child welfare and support to families with children.

Societal matters are varied, such as the notion of re-skilling (リスキリング, skill improvement / continuous education) necessary for a better employability or to acquire new skills in a current job. Discrimination problems, especially prejudice based on the look leading to favoritism of beautiful people (ルッキズム, Lookism), and the OBN (オールド・ボーイズ・ネットワーク, «Old Boyz Network»), criticizing the networking habits in mainly male organizations that end up foster self-segregation. The job of Intimacy Coordinator (インティマシー・コーディネーター), that was brought to light by #MeToo is highlighted as it increasingly becomes an asset of movies or TV shows sets to ensure that everyone taking part in the filming understands what entails an intimate scene, and that actors can work in a safe environment.

On a lighter tone, «nun katsu» (ヌン活, Afternoon lifestyle) is popular among young women who enjoy their tea time in a refined decor, with instagramable patries. Gachi Chûka (ガチ中華 , «Truly Chinese») is an informal word for restaurants serving Chinese regional cuisine in Japan, without catering to the Japanese taste, that are increasingly numerous and attract Chinese expatriates in need of comfort food.

Technology is introduced by the words メタバース Metaverse and オーディオブック Audiobook, the later seeing an increase of users thanks to their availability on smartphones and through subscriptions.

Lastly, to end on the entertainment topic, the panel had also selected: ヤー! パワー! (Yaa ! Power!) the favorite posing phrase of comedian / body builder Nakayama Kinnikun. NHK’s morning drama Chimu dondon, broadcast in 2022 from April to September, appears thanks to ＃ちむどんどん反省会 (#Chimudondon hanseikai, #ChimudondonDebriefed): each episode was diligently commented by the fans on the social networks, and especially on Twitter. Last but not least, SPY×FAMILY, the family action and comedy manga has been serialized in an anime. Anya, the peanut-loving main character brings her childish innocence to a story that interestingly resonates with reality.

This Top 10 sheds new light on Japan, and especially on the way some Japanese see their own country. Jiyû Kokuminsha’s panelists do not hide their disapproval of the ruling government, which can be surprising if we believe in Japanese clichés about the uniformity of Japanese society.

Reading their arguments and analyzing the context offer the discovery of many underlying trends and expressions, that are not always visible to a Western audience, due to numerous obstacles such as language and culture.

Previous years

Words related to sports are still dominant. Politics are quite important as well, and Japan’s former Prime minister Shinzô Abe’s name was often cited, be it for political controversial decisions, scandals and recently even his death.

2021

1. リアル二刀流 (Real nitôryû)／ショータイム (Show-time): Both words ranked first ex-aequo and refer to Shohei Ohtani (born in 1994), a Japanese player in the American baseball major league since 2018. In 2021, he became the first player for over a century to be able to play at the same level as batter and pitcher. Shô-time is a pun on Ohtani’s first name, Shôhei, shortened to «Shô» to which was affixed the English word «time,» to create the nickname «Showtime,» which is to be expected when he enters the field.
2. うっせぇわ (Ussee wa) is a song by Ado (born in 2002), released in October 2020 and that quickly became N°1 of sales and streaming. The singer expresses the rejection and the exasperation the younger generations feel towards the never ending injunctions of Japanese society.
3. 親ガチャ (Oya gacha) is a portmanteau word composed of «oya» meaning «parents» and «gacha» the onomatopoeia from the noise made by a gachapon, the capsule toys vending machine. It means that in the life lottery, destiny is for the most part decided from the moment and the family you were born into, and efforts or willpower will not change much to the situation.

2020

1. 3密 (san mitsu) or 3C: slogan created by the Japanese Ministry of Health in March 2020 to help prevent the spread of Coronavirus by avoiding the 3Cs: Confined spaces (密閉 mippei); Crowded places (密集 misshû); Close-contact settings (密接 missetsu).
2. GoToキャンペーン (GoTo Campaign): an extraordinary budget to sustain Japanese economy during the Coronavirus pandemic. The campaigns have globally reached their goal of maintaining a level of activity, but as they encouraged population travel, They are now considered as one of the way Covid-19 further spread in Japan.
3. 鬼滅の刃 (Kimetsu no yaiba): Demon Slayer, the manga by Koyoharu Kotoge, whose publishing ended in May 2020. The movie (Demon Slayer: Infinity Train 🚅) was released in October 2020 and broke all the Japanese box-office’s records.

2019

1. ONE TEAM: slogan of the Japanese Rugby Team, the Brave Blossoms, during the Rugby World Cup, to highlight in a positive way the diversity of its members’ origins, with only half of them of Japanese citizenship.
2. 計画運休 (keikaku unkyû): «planned cancellation» is the security scheme to stop all transportation means before a typhoon 🌀 hits to limit damages. The expression was often employed in 2019, a year when the meteorological phenomenons were particularly powerful and destructive.
3. 軽減税率 (keigen zeiritsu): the «reduced tax rate» is the temporary measure that aims to smoothe the 10% VAT rise, with an implementation limited to non-essential products in its first stage.

2018

1. そだねー (sodanee): «that’s right», was used and popularized by Japan’s women curling team, winner of a bronze medal in the 2018 PyeongChang winter Olympics 🏅;
2. eスポーツ (isupootsu): «e-sport», the electronic sports, as a Japanese won a gold medal in an Asian e-sport tournament in summer 2018. Sodanee and e-sport were the two first entries of 2018 Top 10;
3. ＃MeToo: the famous hashtag ranked 10th.

2017

1. インスタ映え (Insta bae): «Instagrammable», to commemorate the advent of the new famous social network;
2. 忖度 (sontaku): «assumption», ex-aequo with Insta bae, was used by the founder of Morimoto Gakuen Group, in a fraud scandal of the same name, to which Japan’s Prime minister Shinzô Abe’s name has been linked;
3. J アラート (J araato): «J ALERT», at the fourth rank, is the national warning system to alert the population in case of danger. It was widely used in 2017, due to North-Korea’s multiple missile launchings.

2016

1. 神ってる (kamitteru): «he’s divine», said about a baseball player who scored two decisive home runs in two consecutive matches;
2. トランプ現象 (Toranpu genshô): «Trump phenomenon», ranked at the third place, reflecting the shock of the discovery of the new United States president and his fancy language;
3. 盛り土 (moritsuchi): «terrace», ranked sixth, reminds of the difficulties in the the fish market’s transfer from Tsukiji to Toyosu. It was postponed by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike to allow the soil decontamination of the new site.

2015

1. 爆買い (bakugai): is a Japanese slang word meaning «shopping spree» that Chinese tourists encounter when visiting Japan, due to their high purchasing power. It is ex-aequo with:
2. トリプルスリー (toripurusurii): «Triple Three», accomplished by professional baseball player Tetsuto Yamada with 30% of batting average, 30 stolen bases and 30 home runs over one season;
3. エンブレム (enburemu): «emblem», at the sixth rank, to recall the choice of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics ‘emblem, which much passionated the Japanese in 2015.

2014

1. ダメよ～ダメダメ (Dame yo dame dame): «No way, no, no!», from a Japanese comic duets’ phrase making fun of the Japanese who are yet to learn to assertively say no, even when their government tried to amend the 1947 pacifist Constitution of Japan, in July 2014;
2. 集団的自衛権 (shûdanteki jieiken): «the right of collective self-defense», ex-aequo with Dame yo dame dame, and in the same context, is the argument employed by Japan’s Prime minister Shinzô Abe to justify the amendments he wanted to enforce in the Japanese Constitution;
3. ありのままで (ari no mama de): «The way I am», at the third place, is the Japanese version of «Let it go», the main song from the movie Frozen, released in 2014, and as successful as in the rest of the world.

2013

1. お・も・て・な・し (O MO TE NA SHI): «hospitality». In 2013, four special prizes were awarded, among which one to «hospitality» used by announcer Christel Takikawa during her presentation speech for the attribution of 2020 Olympics to Japan;
2. アベノミクス (Abenomikusu): «Abenomics», at the fifth rank, is the name of the economic policy that Prime minister Shinzô Abe has been implementing in Japan since December 2012;
3. ご当地キャラ (gotôchi kyara): «the local mascot», at the sixth rank, is a reminder of the trend launched in 2007 by Hiko-nyan, the local mascot of Hikone, to have a fictional character represent a city or a region. In 2013, Kumamon, Kumamoto’s mascot hit a record in popularity.

What were the three top Words of the Year in Japan in 2022? Image: Unsplash/Takashi Miyazaki

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Global Agenda

The Agenda Weekly

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February 27, 2023

Japan has chosen the word “war” as the best description for the year 2022 in voting as part of an annual contest.

The kanji character “sen”, meaning war or battle, was picked as the single most representative Japanese character in public voting held this week by a Kyoto-based organisation.

This was the 28th annual poll run by the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, where public votes select a kanji character that describes the year.

“Kanji” is a type of script that is written in Chinese characters.

The character was chosen by 10,804 of the 223,768 entries, reported Japanese media.

Last year, Japan chose “kin” – meaning gold – as the kanji of the year in honour of the Tokyo Olympics, where the country won 27 gold medals and 58 medals overall.

But this year, “war” was chosen by the public because of the Russia-Ukraine conflict which dominated world affairs and news cycles and the assassination of the country’s longest-serving prime minister Shinzo Abe.

Abe was killed while making an election campaign speech in July, allegedly by a man angered by the former prime minister’s ties to the controversial Unification Church.

“The invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the shooting of former prime minister Abe, and the rapid yen depreciation and inflation faced in daily life have caused anxiety for many people,” the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation said in a news release on Monday.

However, local media outlets said there were more meanings for the word domestically than world affairs, politics and inflation.

At home, the kanji also illustrated the public’s excitement about the heated battles the Japanese national soccer team fought at the World Cup held in Qatar, Kyodo news reported. The country’s football team, nicknamed Samurai Blue, exited in the round of 16.

After the selection of the new kanji for the year, chief Buddhist priest Seihan Mori of Kiyomizu temple made the announcement by writing the character with a giant calligraphy brush on a 1.5m by 1.3m surface.

This, however, isn’t the first time the word has been chosen as the kanji of the year. “Sen” was also picked in December 2001, when 9/11 made headlines all across the globe.

Year Kanji Readings Meanings Events Source

1995

shin
furu-u

quake

The Great Hanshin–Awaji earthquake and growing feelings of unease caused by the sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway.

1996

shoku
ku-u

food
eat

Multiple outbreaks of food poisoning due to E. coli O157 occur, affecting school lunch programs.

1997

tou
tao-su

collapse
knock down

The 1997 Asian financial crisis results in a wave of corporate bankruptcies and bank failures, while the Japanese team beats regional powerhouses in the Asia qualifying tournament to win a berth in the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

1998

doku

poison

Sixty-seven people are sickened and four die after eating poisoned curry, for which Masumi Hayashi is arrested. Similar incidents follow amid concerns about dioxins.

1999

matsu
sue

end

The final year of the century, when the Tokaimura nuclear accident occurs.

2000

kin
kane

gold
money

Judo athlete Ryoko Tamura (now Ryoko Tani) and marathon-runner Naoko Takahashi win gold at the Sydney Olympics, Kim Dae Jung and Kim Jong-il hold the first North-South Korean presidential summit, the deaths of centenarian twin sisters Kin-san and Gin-san (whose names sound like «gold» and «silver»), and the introduction of the ¥2,000 note.

2001

sen
tataka-u

battle

The September 11, 2001 attacks, the U.S. war in Afghanistan, and the global recession.

2002

ki
kae-ru

return

Japan and North Korea begin talks and five Japanese citizens kidnapped by North Korea return to Japan.

2003

ko
tora

tiger

The Hanshin Tigers win the Central League pennant for the first time in 18 years and the involvement of the Japan Self-Defense Force in the Iraq War, which some equated to «stepping on a tiger’s tail» (虎の尾を踏む).

2004

sai
wazawa-i

disaster

The Chūetsu earthquake, Typhoon Tokage wrecks great damages upon landfall, the accident at the Mihama Nuclear Power Plant, and scandal at Mitsubishi Motors involving the cover-up of known defects.

2005

ai
ito-shii

love

Expo 2005 is held in Aichi, Princess Nori marries Yoshiki Kuroda, and table tennis athlete Ai Fukuhara plays in China, as well as a spate of child-by-parent and parent-by-child murders.

2006

mei
inochi

life

Prince Hisahito of Akishino is born, while feelings of uncertainty about life arise from hit and run accidents due to driving under the influence, suicide due to bullying, and the notable suicide of a member of the Imperial Guard.

2007

gi
nise

deception

A series of food labeling scandals in which expired products were relabeled and sold, problems over political funds and faulty pension records, and allegations of copyright infringement at the Beijing Shijingshan Amusement Park.

2008

hen
kawa-ru

change

Changing of the Japanese prime minister, Barack Obama winning the American presidency using the slogan «change», economical and ecological changes around the world.

2009

shin
atara-shii

new

The Democratic Party of Japan is swept into power by lower house elections to end half a century of LDP dominance, the worldwide outbreak of swine flu (known as Shin-gata influenza), and Ichiro Suzuki sets a new MLB record with nine consecutive seasons with 200 hits.

2010

sho
atsu-i

hot

Record heatwaves affecting both people’s livelihoods and the natural environment and the Chilean mine collapse trapped 33 men about 700 meters underground in a hot, humid mine.

2011

han
kizuna

bonds

The Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami occurs, with people across Japan rediscovering the importance of their bonds with family and friends and Japan’s women’s national football team, Nadeshiko Japan, wins the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup, a result of confidence and teamwork among its members.

2012

kin
kane

gold
money

Several medals are won at the 2012 London Olympics, Shinya Yamanaka wins a Nobel Prize, and a solar eclipse is observed for the first time in Japan in 932 years, amid concerns such as consumption tax and welfare («金» is also the first kanji to be selected more than once).

2013

rin
wa

wheel
ring

Successful bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympics. (the original Japanese word for «Olympics» is 五輪, literally meaning «five rings»)

2014

zei
mitsugi

tax

Social discussion and additional expense tax in Japan. (VAT switching from 5% to 8%)

2015

an
yasu

safety

Safety (安全) issues concerning explosion in Yasukuni Shrine, terrorist attack on Paris, and the public outcry at the new State Secrecy Law devised by prime minister Shinzo Abe (安倍晋三).

2016

kin
kane

gold
money

High number of gold medals won at the 2016 Rio Olympics, the shift to minus interest (“interest rate” is “kinri” in Japanese), Trump’s U.S. presidential election victory (“blonde hair” is “kinpatsu”), and Piko Taro, singer of ‘PPAP’, who’s known for wearing a gold-colored animal print outfit. (This is the third time this kanji has taken this honor.)

2017

hoku
kita

north

North Korea’s missile tests and nuclear test, the heavy rain in northern Kyushu, and the poor harvest of potatoes in Hokkaido.

2018

sai
wazawa-i

disaster

The 2018 Osaka earthquake along with the heavy floods in southwestern Japan. This Kanji was also selected in 2004 as Kanji of the Year.

2019

rei
ryou

good
order

Japanese era name was changed into Reiwa (令和, «good harmony»). As safety measures against the storm and downpour caused by Typhoon Faxai and Typhoon Hagibis in Kantō region, the government issued («issuing order» is «hatsurei (発令)» in Japanese) evacuation orders.

2020

mitsu
hiso-ka

secret
close

Reference to the san mitsu (３密, the three Cs), a government recommendation to avoid closed spaces, crowds and close contact due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It also references how people were brought closer together thanks to the stay-at-home directive. ‘Mitsu’ additionally alludes to secrets unveiled in the political and entertainment worlds in 2020.

2021

kin
kane

gold
money

Reference to the gold medals of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, which proceeded this July after being postponed but under special restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other great sporting achievements by Japanese athletes during the year. Shohei Ohtani was awarded the Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award, while Sōta Fujii became the history’s youngest shogi 4-crown title holder. In addition, new designs for Japanese banknotes were unveiled, and a new 500 yen coin was introduced into circulation.

2022

sen
ikusa

war
battle

Reference to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the assassination of Shinzo Abe.

2021 soon ends.

Many things happened this year and word of the year reflects the things!

Here, I picked up Japanese top 10 word of the year!!

Let’s see them to catch up with Japanese trend in 2021!!

Real Two-Way / Show-Time (リアル二刀流 / ショータイム)

Top 1 is all about Shohei Ohtani.

If you are a big fan of baseball, you must know about Shohei Ohtani of Los Angeles Angels.

He received a Major League Baseball MVP award this year!

Surprising point of Shohei Ohtani is he is a two-way player.
In the same game, he plays as a designated hitter and starting pitcher.

He almost broke the record of double-digit wins and home runs in a single season made by Babe Ruth for the first time in 103 years.

Although it did not happen, he is said to be the most two-way player ever.

The phrase show-time is the phrase announcers call him when he appears.

That’s a kind of pun mixing his name Shohei and Show-time.

Ussee Wa! (Shut Up!) (うっせぇわ)

Usse (うっせぇ) means Shut up.

This is the song by Ado.

The song was all about “Do not instruct me”.

You have to keep the rules when you grow up.

You have to check economic trends during commuting.
You have to pour beer for your boss at Izakaya (Japanese style bar).
You also have to order for your boss.
Etc.

Ussewa!!!!!

This is the heart’s cry!

Plus, we had to refrain from going out because of COVID-19.
Karaoke, Izakaya, live concert, etc.
Government always asked us to keep the rules.

We understand it.

But if all those things keep continuing like forever while some officials break the rule, we finally snap and say

Ussewa!!

The reason this song made a hit was the song reflected our real shout inside today.

Oh, but don’t get me wrong, I never think like that.
That’s the way it goes, I think like that.

Only when I had to join drinking party and senior or boss instructed me silly things like pour beer for them, I might have been Ussewa, haha!!

Oya Gacha (Parent Lottery) (親ガチャ)

Oya (親) means Parents.

Gacha (ガチャ) is from Gacha Gacha, that is, Gashapon.

You know, we can not choose our parents.
The moment we were born our parents were decided.

Some might be very lucky and the others may not.

Your parents’ financial status decides your education and future, some might say.

It’s like a lottery.
And like Gashapon.

Only when we open the capsule, we know what we get.

Now the disparity between the rich and the poor has been expanding.
This is not only in Japan but all over the world.

And it’ll continue.
Pandemic added the fuel to it.

There were such backgrounds behind the word Oya Gacha created.

Gon Zeme / Bitta bita (ゴン攻め / ビッタビタ)

Gon Zeme (ゴン攻め) and Bitta bita (ビッタビタ) were the words used during play-by-play commentary.

Tokyo Olympics held this 2021 and professional skate border Ryo Sejiri gave a running commentary on one of the new sports skateboarding.

He used the words Gon Zeme and Bitta bita in the comment.

Gon Zeme means to challenge difficult points actively such as stairs and handrail.

Bitta bita means the situation when the performer made the skill or technique successfully on the stage.
This is also a onomatopoeia.

Actually, I’ve never heard of both Gon Zeme and Bitta bita before.
I think many others also did not know those words until this commentator used the words on TV.

New words Tokyo Olympics created, I can say.

Gender Equality (ジェンダー平等)

Gender equality in Japan is still falling behind.

平等 means Equality.

It became controversial when Yoshiro Mori, former Tokyo Olympics chief remarked “Meeting which includes many females takes time” at a councilor committee meeting.

The complain taken as a sexist remark and made him step down the position.

For senior posts in company, government, the ratio of females is still less compared to male.

The situation has been improving as many people raise voices.

This Gender Equality is also not the problem only in Japan but worldwide.
And one of the target set in SDGS which spread across Japan this year, especially.

Beyond the sex or race, we have to aim much more equal society.

Jinryu (Flow of People)(人流)

This Jinryu (人流) is also new word which I’ve never heard of before.

Jinryu means Flow of people.

Started used to show flow of people during pandemic.

Event, restaurant, commuting, etc.
This Jinryu was the key factor to take control COVID-19.

Sugimu Rising (スギムライジング)

Sugimu Rising (スギムライジング) is the technique used by Hidetaka Sugimura.

He was the Boccia player representing Japan in the Tokyo Paralympics.

He used his signature move rising often and won gold medal in the end.

People called the rising he used as Sugimu Rising.

This is the another word made from Olympics, isn’t it.

Z Generation (Z世代)

Z Generation (Z世代) is the generation born in between the late 1990 and 2000s.
Today’s teenagers and early twenties.

There were already high-spec internet when they were born.
Using Smartphone and familiar with TikTok, YouTube, e-sports, etc.

Many of them will also involved in the field of AI, VR and AR.

Their set of values or philosophy is also different.
Pay more attention to SDGs and social problems than older generations.

Privately, I feel positive effects from Z Generation.

Bottakuri Danshaku (Baron Ripper-off ) (ぼったくり男爵)

Bottakuri (ぼったくり) means Rip-off.

Baron Von Ripper-off was the word to express IOC president Thomas Bach.

This Baron Von Ripper-off was actually used in the article of the Washington Post.

Many Japanese were against holding Tokyo Olympics but it was held as you know.

IOC and Japanese government held the Olympics forcibly.
And people knew this is all about money thing.

So, this Baron Von Ripper-off used in the Washington Post was just fit.

Mokusyoku (Keep your mask on unless eating) (黙食)

We never had this custom of Mokushoku (黙食).

Mokushoku means Keep one’s mask on unless eating.

Certainly, COVID-19 made this new custom.

To prevent droplet infection from spreading, it was necessary.

It was a strange scene to see people keep eating without talking at a restaurant.

Strange but necessary.

Hope the day to come when we can enjoy our meals without caring Mokukshoku and mask at all.

Summary of Japanese Word of the year 2021 Top 10

I can say words this year are something related to Tokyo Olympics and COVID-19.

That’s understandable.

Word of the year really reflects today’s society.

What kind of words chosen in your country?

It might be good to check them and think back what happened this 2021 and imagine your future 2022.

Thank you very much for reading my article this year, too.
I keep writing next year to deliver useful or interesting information even for a little bit.

Hope you have great year!!
良いお年を～！！ (^ ^) /

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The word(s) of the year, sometimes capitalized as «Word(s) of the Year» and abbreviated «WOTY» (or «WotY«), refers to any of various assessments as to the most important word(s) or expression(s) in the public sphere during a specific year.

The German tradition, Wort des Jahres was started in 1971. The American Dialect Society’s Word of the Year is the oldest English-language version, and the only one that is announced after the end of the calendar year, determined by a vote of independent linguists, and not tied to commercial interest.^{[citation needed]} However, various other organizations also announce Words of the Year for a variety of purposes.

American Dialect SocietyEdit

Since 1990, the American Dialect Society (ADS) has designated one or more words or terms to be the «Word of the Year» in the United States.
List of American Dialect Society’s Words of the Year
In addition to the «Word of the Year», the society also selects words in other categories that vary from year to year. These categories have occurred in several years:

• Most useful
• Most creative
• Most unnecessary
• Most outrageous
• Most euphemistic
• Most likely to succeed
• Least likely to succeed

Australian National Dictionary CentreEdit

The Australian National Dictionary Centre has announced a Word of the Year each since 2006. The word is chosen by the editorial staff, and is selected on the basis of having come to some prominence in the Australian social and cultural landscape during the year.^[1] The Word of the Year is often reported in the media as being Australia’s word of the year,^[2][3] but the word is not always an Australian word.

Year	Word
2006	podcast
2007	me-tooism
2008	GFC
2009	twitter
2010	vuvuzela
2011
2012	green-on-blue
2013	bitcoin
2014	shirtfront
2015	sharing economy
2016	democracy sausage
2017	Kwaussie
2018	Canberra bubble
2019	Voice
2020	iso
2021	strollout
2022	teal

Cambridge DictionaryEdit

The Cambridge Dictionary Word of the Year, by Cambridge University Press & Assessment, has been published every year since 2015.^[4] 

The Cambridge Word of the Year is led by the data — what users look up — in the world’s most popular dictionary for English language learners^[5]. 

In 2022, the Cambridge Word of the Year was ‘homer’, caused by Wordle players looking up five-letter words, especially those that non-American players were less familiar with.^[6] 

In 2021, the Cambridge Dictionary Word of the Year was ‘perseverance’.^[7] In 2020, ‘quarantine’.^[8]

YEAR
2015	austerity
2016	paranoid
2017	populism
2018	nomophobia
2019	upcycling
2020	quarantine
2021	perserverance
2022	homer

Collins English DictionaryEdit

The Collins English Dictionary has announced a Word of the Year every year since 2013, and prior to this, announced a new ‘word of the month’ each month in 2012. Published in Glasgow, UK, Collins English Dictionary has been publishing English dictionaries since 1819.^[9]

Toward the end of each calendar year, Collins release a shortlist of notable words or those that have come to prominence in the previous 12 months. The shortlist typically comprises ten words, though in 2014 only four words were announced as the Word of the Year shortlist.

The Collins Words of the Year are selected by the Collins Dictionary team across Glasgow and London, consisting of lexicographers, editorial, marketing, and publicity staff, though previously the selection process has been open to the public.

Whilst the word is not required to be new to feature, the appearance of words in the list is often supported by usage statistics and cross-reference against Collins’ extensive corpus to understand how language may have changed or developed in the previous year. The Collins Word of the Year is also not restricted to UK language usage, and words are often chosen that apply internationally as well, for example, fake news in 2017.^[10]

Year	Word of the Year	Definition	Shortlist
2013	Geek[11]	If you call someone, usually a man or boy, a geek, you are saying in an unkind way that they are stupid, awkward, or weak.[12]	Twerking[13] Bitcoin[14] Phablet[15] Plebgate[16] Fracker[17] Cybernat[18] Thigh gap[19] Olinguito[20] Black Friday[21] Payday lending[22] Harlem Shake[23]
2014	Photobomb[24]	If you photobomb someone, you spoil a photograph of them by stepping in front of them as the photograph is taken, often doing something silly such as making a funny face.[25]	Tinder[26] Bakeoff[27] Normcore[28] Devo Max[29]
2015	Binge-watch[30]	If you binge-watch a television series, you watch several episodes one after another in a short time.[31]	Dadbod[32] Shaming[32] Corbynomics[32] Clean eating[32] Ghosting[32] Swipe[32] Contactless[32] Manspreading[32] Transgender[32]
2016	Brexit[33]	The withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union in January 2020.[34]	Hygge[35] Mic drop[36] Trumpism[37] Throw shade[38] Sharenting[39] Snowflake generation[40] Dude food[41] Uberization[42] JOMO[43]
2017	Fake news[44]	False, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news reporting.[45]	Antifa[46] Corbynmania[47] Cuffing season[48] Echo chamber[49] Fidget spinner[50] Gender-fluid[51] Gig economy[52] Insta[53] Unicorn[54]
2018	Single-use[55]	Made to be used once only.[56]	Backstop[55][57] Floss[55][57] Gammon[55][57] Gaslight[55][57] MeToo[55][57] Plogging[55][57] VAR[55][57] Vegan[55][57] Whitewash[55][57]
2019	Climate strike[58]	A form of protest in which people absent themselves from education or work to join demonstrations demanding action to counter climate change.[59]	Bopo[60] Cancel Deepfake Double down Entryist Hopepunk Influencer Nonbinary Rewilding
2020	Lockdown[58]	If there is a lockdown, people must stay at home unless they need to go out for certain reasons, such as going to work, buying food or taking exercise.	Lockdown[61] Coronavirus[62] BLM[63] Key worker[64] Furlough[65] Self-isolate[66] Social distancing[67] Megxit[68] TikToker[69] Mukbang[70]
2021	NFT[71]	A digital certificate of ownership of a unique asset, such as an artwork or a collectible.	Climate anxiety Double-vaxxed Metaverse Pingdemic Cheugy Crypto Hybrid working Neopronoun Regencycore
2022	Permacrisis[72]	An extended period of instability and insecurity, esp one resulting from a series of catastrophic events.

Macquarie DictionaryEdit

The Macquarie Dictionary, which is the dictionary of Australian English, updates the online dictionary each year with new words, phrases, and definitions. These can be viewed on their website.^[73]

Each year the editors select a short-list of new words added to the dictionary and invite the public to vote on their favourite. The public vote is held in January and results in the People’s Choice winner. The most influential word of the year is also selected by the Word of the Year Committee which is chaired by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sydney, Dr Michael Spence. The Editor of the Macquarie Dictionary, Susan Butler, is also a committee member. The Committee meets annually to select the overall winning words.

The following is the list of winning words since the Macquarie Word of the Year first began in 2006:

Year	Committee’s Choice	People’s Choice
2006	muffin top	(No overall winner. See Macquarie website for category winners)
2007	pod slurping	password fatigue
2008	toxic debt	flashpacker
2009	shovel ready	tweet
2010	googleganger	shockumentary
2011	burqini	fracking
2012	phantom vibration syndrome	First World problem
2013	infovore[74]	onesie
2014	mansplain[75]	shareplate
2015	captain’s call[76]	captain’s call[77]
2016	fake news	halal snack pack
2017	milkshake duck[78][79]	framily[80]
2018	me too[81][82]	single-use[83]
2019	cancel culture	robodebt
2020	doomscrolling, rona	Karen
2021	strollout[84]	strollout
2022	teal	bachelor’s handbag[85]

Merriam-WebsterEdit

The lists of Merriam-Webster’s Words of the Year (for each year) are ten-word lists published annually by the American dictionary-publishing company Merriam-Webster, Inc., which feature the ten words of the year from the English language. These word lists started in 2003 and have been published at the end of each year. At first, Merriam-Webster determined its contents by analyzing page hits and popular searches on its website. Since 2006, the list has been determined by an online poll and by suggestions from visitors to the website.^[86]

The following is the list of words that became Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year since 2003:^[87]

• 2003: democracy
• 2004: blog
• 2005: integrity
• 2006: truthiness
• 2007: w00t
• 2008: bailout
• 2009: admonish
• 2010: austerity
• 2011: pragmatic
• 2012: socialism and capitalism
• 2013: science
• 2014: culture
• 2015: -ism
• 2016: surreal
• 2017: feminism^[88]
• 2018: justice
• 2019: they
• 2020: pandemic^[89]
• 2021: vaccine^[90]
• 2022: gaslighting

OxfordEdit

Oxford University Press, which publishes the Oxford English Dictionary and many other dictionaries, announces an Oxford Dictionaries UK Word of the Year and an Oxford Dictionaries US Word of the Year; sometimes these are the same word. The Word of the Year need not have been coined within the past twelve months but it does need to have become prominent or notable during that time. There is no guarantee that the Word of the Year will be included in any Oxford dictionary. The Oxford Dictionaries Words of the Year are selected by editorial staff from each of the Oxford dictionaries. The selection team is made up of lexicographers and consultants to the dictionary team, and editorial, marketing, and publicity staff.^[91]

Year	UK Word of the Year	US Word of the Year	Hindi Word of the Year
2004	chav
2005	sudoku	podcast
2006	bovvered	carbon-neutral
2007	carbon footprint	locavore
2008	credit crunch	hypermiling
2009	simples (Compare the Meerkat catchphrase)	unfriend
2010	big society	refudiate
2011	squeezed middle
2012	omnishambles	GIF (noun)
2013	selfie[92]
2014	vape[93]
2015	😂 (Face With Tears of Joy, Unicode: U+1F602, part of emoji)[94]
2016	post-truth[95]
2017	youthquake[96]	Aadhaar[a]
2018	toxic[98]	Nari Shakti or Women Power[99]
2019	climate emergency[100]	Samvidhaan or Constitution[101]
2020	No single word chosen[102]	Aatmanirbharta or Self-Reliance[103]
2021	vax[104]
2022	goblin mode[105][106]

Grant BarrettEdit

Since 2004, lexicographer Grant Barrett has published a words-of-the-year list, usually in The New York Times, though he does not name a winner.

• 2004
• 2005
• 2006
• 2007
• 2008
• 2009
• 2010
• 2011
• 2012
• 2013 in New York Times, also a more complete list
• 2014 in Dallas Morning News

Dictionary.comEdit

In 2010, Dictionary.com announced its first word of the year, ‘change’, and has done so in December every year since.^[107] The selection is based on search trends on the site throughout the year and the news events that drive them.^[108]

The following is the list of annual words since beginning with the first in 2010:^[107]

• 2010: Change
• 2011: Tergiversate
• 2012: Bluster
• 2013: Privacy
• 2014: Exposure
• 2015: Identity
• 2016: Xenophobia
• 2017: Complicit
• 2018: Misinformation
• 2019: Existential^[109]
• 2020: Pandemic
• 2021: Allyship
• 2022: Woman

Similar word listsEdit

A Word a YearEdit

Since 2004, Susie Dent, an English lexicographer has published a column, «A Word a Year», in which she chooses a single word from each of the last 101 years to represent preoccupations of the time. Susie Dent notes that the list is subjective.^{[110][111][112]} Each year, she gives a completely different set of words.

Since Susie Dent works for the Oxford University Press, her words of choice are often incorrectly referred to as «Oxford Dictionary’s Word of the Year».

Other countriesEdit

In Germany, a Wort des Jahres has been selected since 1972 (for year 1971) by the Society of the German Language.^[113] In addition, an Unwort des Jahres (Un-word of the year or No-no Word of the Year) has been nominated since 1991, for a word or phrase in public speech deemed insulting or socially inappropriate (such as «Überfremdung»).^[114] Similar selections are made each year since 1999 in Austria, 2002 in Liechtenstein, and 2003 in Switzerland. Since 2008, language publisher Langenscheidt supports a search for the German youth word of the year, which aims to find new words entering the language through the vernacular of young people.^[115][116]

In Denmark, the Word of the year has been selected since 2008 by Danmarks Radio and Dansk Sprognævn.

In Japan, the Kanji of the year (kotoshi no kanji) has been selected since 1995. Kanji are adopted Chinese characters in Japanese language. Japan also runs an annual word of the year contest called » U-Can New and Trendy Word Grand Prix» (U-Can shingo, ryūkōgo taishō) sponsored by Jiyu Kokuminsha. Both the kanji and word/phrases of the year are often reflective of Japanese current events and attitudes. For example, in 2011 following the Fukushima power plant disaster, the frustratingly enigmatic phrase used by Japanese officials before the explosion regarding the possibility of meltdown – «the possibility of recriticality is not zero» (Sairinkai no kanōsei zero de wa nai) – became the top phrase of the year. In the same year, the kanji indicating ‘bond’ (i.e. familial bond or friendship) became the kanji of the year, expressing the importance of collectiveness in the face of disaster.^[117]

In Norway, the Word of the year poll is carried out since 2012.

In Portugal, the Word of the year poll is carried out since 2009.

In Russia, the Word of the year poll is carried out since 2007.

In Spain, the Word of the year is carried out by Fundéu since 2013.

In Ukraine, the Word of the year poll is carried out since 2013.

See alsoEdit

• Language Report from Oxford University Press
• Lists of Merriam-Webster’s Words of the Year
• Neologism
• Doublespeak Award
• Kanji of the year

Further readingEdit

• John Ayto, «A Century of New Words», Series: Oxford Paperback Reference (2007) ISBN 0-19-921369-0
• John Ayto, «Twentieth Century Words», Oxford University Press (1999) ISBN 0-19-860230-8

NotesEdit

ReferencesEdit

External linksEdit

• Top words from 2000 – present @ Global Language Monitor
• Word of the Year Archive @ Macquarie Dictionary
• Word of the Year Archive @ Merriam-Webster
• Word of the Year Archive @ OxfordWords blog
• Austrian Word of the Year
• Canadian Word of the Year
• Liechtenstein Word of the Year
• Switzerland Word of the Year
• Dictionary.com word of the year @ Dictionary.com

Last month, the English dictionary Merriam-Webster chose “gaslighting” as its word of the year after seeing a 1,740% spike in searches for the term in 2022.

Japan is also no stranger to the term, which most often appears in katakana as ガスライティング (gasuraitingu, gaslighting).

ガスライティングは「特に自分自身の利益のために誰かをひどく惑わせる行為または慣行」と定義されています (Gasuraitingu wa “toku ni jibun-jishin no rieki no tame ni dareka o hidoku madowaseru kōi mata wa kankō” to teigi sarete-imasu, Gaslighting is defined as “the act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for one’s own advantage”).