The secret is out: This kanji will remain closely associated with the pandemic of 2020
The Japanese have spoken, "密" (mitsu) is the kanji of the year for 2020. But what is this kanji trying to say to us?
The character, which on its own means "close" or "dense," garnered 28,401 votes — 13.65% of the 208,025 cast in a nationwide poll.
What would a 'kanji of the decade' say about the state of Japan?
This year's kanji of the year is "令," but writer Paul Dargan posits a guess as to what the kanji of the decade might be while looking back on the annual tradition and what the top picks say about the state of the country.
Rei (令), first character of Reiwa era name, picked as Japan's kanji of the year
The character "rei" (令) — as used in the era name of Reiwa, which has been translated to mean "beautiful harmony" — was chosen as kanji of the year, the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation announced Thursday. The character garnered 30,427 votes, the largest share ...
Kanji of the year, meaning 'disaster,' symbolizes 2018 amid natural and human calamities
The kanji sai (災, disaster) was picked as the Chinese character best describing this year's social mood in Japan, amid a string of natural and man-made calamities, a Kyoto-based kanji promotion organization announced Wednesday. Chief Buddhist priest Seihan Mori of the Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto wrote ...
Kita, meaning north, named 2017 kanji of the year amid growing North Korea threat
The kanji kita (北, north) has been selected as the character best capturing the national mood this year in Japan amid the heightened nuclear and missile threat posed by North Korea, a Kyoto-based kanji promotion organization said Tuesday. Chief Buddhist priest Seihan Mori of Kiyomizu Temple ...
The kanji for kin, meaning gold or money, has been picked as the character best symbolizing this year's social mood in Japan, a Kyoto-based kanji promotion organization said Monday. The selection came after Japan won 12 gold medals at the Rio Olympics and former Tokyo ...
'An,' meaning safety, named Japan's kanji of the year for 2015
The kanji an, which denotes safety or peace, best symbolizes the national mood in 2015, a Kyoto-based kanji promotion organization said Tuesday. The character reflects the claims and counterclaims that rang out nationwide when the Abe administration steamrolled security bills through the Diet this summer. ...
