New Words and Kanji of the Year!
This time of the year, two major events in Japan highlight the words and trends that have defined the year. First we have the New Words and Buzzwords Award, and then Kanji of the Year.
New Words and Buzzwords Award
The 新語・流行語大賞 is an award for words or phrases that became popular in Japan during the year. On December 2, the top ten words of 2024 were announced. The Grand Prize was given to the word 「ふてほど/Futehodo」. This word comes from a popular TV show called 「不適切にもほどがある！/Futekisetsu nimo hodo ga aru」, which humorously portrays today's society's strong focus on compliance and rules.
The top ten words include:
Bling-Bang-Bang-Born
This is the title of a song from a popular anime. The catchy tune made it go viral.
界隈/Kaiwai
Originally, it means "the area around a place" or "specific field" like an industry or hobby. Recently, especially among Gen Z, it's used to refer to a group of people with similar interests or situations.
新紙幣/Shinshihei
The "new bills" (新紙幣) are issued after 20 years this year.
Kanji of the Year 2024
Next, we look forward to the Kanji of the Year 2024, which will be announced on December 12 here.
This is a very famous event in Japan every year. People from all over the country vote for the Kanji that represents the year. Then, at the famous Kiyomizu temple in Kyoto, the chief priest writes the chosen kanji in beautiful calligraphy for everyone to see.
This event is organized by the Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, the same group behind the Kanji Kentei, Kanji Proficiency Test. If you are curious about which kanji were chosen in past years, you can take a look at here.
What kanji do you think will be chosen this year to reflect the year 2024? And if you had to pick one kanji for your 2024, what would it be?
Follow us:
Website | X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify