Thirty candidates for the buzzword of the year were announced Thursday, covering everything from popular poop kanji workbook to fake news to Hifumin, the nickname for a 77-year-old shogi pro who retired in June after wowing fans for decades with his aggressive playing styles and charm.
In the running for the 2017 U-Can Shingo Ryukogo Taisho (2017 U-Can New Words and Buzzword Awards) are terms that provide a unique insight into the nation's cultural trends, as well as political and business news of the year.
Included in the shortlist is Insuta-bae, referring to scenes or products that look picture-perfect for the photo-sharing service Instagram. Because so many smartphone users take snapshots of events and daily observations and upload them on the app, more businesses are working harder to come up with photogenic products or hashtag campaigns.