Language | BILINGUAL Dec 10, 2021
Sports, silent meals and 'Shut Up!': What Japan was talking about in 2021
by Tadasu Takahashi
The year's top buzzwords were announced to great fanfare, but the real word on everyone's lip last week was "omicron."
Language Dec 10, 2021
How do this year's English buzzwords translate into Japanese?
by Tadasu Takahashi
Collins Dictionary announced its "Word of the Year" and technology-related terms came out on top.
National Dec 1, 2021
Buzzwords in Japan 2021: Ohtani and Tokyo Olympics loomed large
by Tadasu Takahashi
The language of the pandemic, while still present, took a back seat to phrases and words inspired by Shohei Ohtani, Thomas Bach, Yoshiro Mori and other sports-related figures.
Language | BILINGUAL Dec 8, 2020
Japan's 2020 buzzwords still contain a sense of whimsy in spite of trying times
by Haruka Murayama
At the start of the year it was expected that 2020's buzzwords would all be related to the Olympics. Oh, how quickly that can change.
National Dec 1, 2020
Viral hit: 'Sanmitsu' — the 'Three Cs' — declared Japan's buzzword of 2020
by Magdalena Osumi
The "Three Cs” approach to the pandemic, popularized by Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike, refers to avoiding closed spaces, crowds and close-contact situations.
Culture Dec 1, 2020
Amabie: Folklore apparition generated a big buzz in 2020
by Alex K.T. Martin
The long-haired, beak-faced amabie, which forecasts bountiful harvests and killer epidemics, has found itself in Japan's spotlight in recent months.
National Nov 5, 2020
The new terms and new usage of existing words demonstrate the immense impact the pandemic has made on working and living styles in the nation.
National Dec 2, 2019
Japanese rugby's 'One Team' motto declared buzzword of 2019
by Masumi Koizumi
"One Team," Japan's slogan for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, was picked as buzzword of the year on Monday after the Brave Blossoms thrilled fans with their historic advance to the top eight. The annual awards are announced in early December, when the top buzzword ...
National Nov 8, 2019
Japan's rugby, disasters and social change generate buzzwords in 2019
by Masumi Koizumi and Satoshi Sugiyama
The 2019 Rugby World Cup, natural disasters and cashless payment inspired a large portion of the nominations for the annual buzzword of the year awards. The words selected for the 2019 U-Can Shingo Ryukogo Taisho (2019 U-Can New Words and Buzzword Awards) reflect the nation’s ...
National Dec 3, 2018
'Sodanē': Japan uses top buzzword of 2018 to end year on a high note
by Magdalena Osumi and Ryusei Takahashi
After months of scandals in sports, politics — and society as a whole — the top buzzword of 2018, announced Monday, struck a strikingly positive tone as the year winds down. "Sodanē," essentially a shortened form of sō da ne (that's right) that was popularized ...
Language Nov 19, 2018
by Mark Schreiber
What's that word, the one for when you like a person but are too shy to say so? Or how about the one you use when you visit Tokyo Disney? Well, one book has all the answers.
National Nov 7, 2018
Japanese buzzwords of 2018 nominees reflect myriad influences and issues
by Magdalena Osumi
Thirty candidates for buzzword of the year, announced Wednesday, highlight the numerous scandals that rocked Japan's amateur sports, the brutal summer of natural disasters as well as the country's response to the worldwide #MeToo movement against sexual harassment. The words nominated for the 2018 U-Can ...