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Sports, silent meals and 'Shut Up!': What Japan was talking about in 2021

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."

How do this year's English buzzwords translate into Japanese?

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.

Buzzwords in Japan 2021: Ohtani and Tokyo Olympics loomed large

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.

Japan's 2020 buzzwords still contain a sense of whimsy in spite of trying times

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.

Viral hit: '<em>Sanmitsu</em>' — the 'Three Cs' — declared Japan's buzzword of 2020

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.

<em>Amabie</em>: Folklore apparition generated a big buzz in 2020

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.

Coronavirus lurks behind half of Japan's 2020 buzzwords

National Nov 5, 2020

Coronavirus lurks behind half of Japan's 2020 buzzwords

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.

Japanese rugby's 'One Team' motto declared buzzword of 2019

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 ...

Japan's rugby, disasters and social change generate buzzwords in 2019

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 ...

<I>'Sodanē'</I>: Japan uses top buzzword of 2018 to end year on a high note

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 ...

'The Year Book of the Contemporary Society' celebrates the Japanese buzzwords that will lead us into the new year

Language Nov 19, 2018

'The Year Book of the Contemporary Society' celebrates the Japanese buzzwords that will lead us into the new year

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.

Japanese buzzwords of 2018 nominees reflect myriad influences and issues

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 ...

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