The annual “2025 T&D Life Group New Words and Trendy Words Award” was announced by “Gendai-go no Kihonjou no Kihonjou” (published by Jiyuukokumin-sha) on January 1, 2012. The “Annual Grand Prize” went to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for “I will work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work. List】The 10 words for the “2025 T&D Life Group New Words and Trendy Words Awards” were announced! The 10 words selected from 30 candidates were “ehkoehoehoe,” “old media,” “emergency gun hunting/bear damage,” “national treasure (saw),” “old rice,” “80 years after the war/100 years of the Showa era,” “Trump tariffs,” “two seasons,” “I will work and work and work/the female prime minister” (annual grand prize), “myakmyak” (annual grand prize), “myakmyak” (annual grand prize), and “myakmyak. Myakmyak”. The selection committee members were Hakusan Kanda (storyteller), Nameko Shinsan (cartoonist and columnist), Patrick Harlan (comedian), Shigeru Muroi (actor, essayist, and director of the Toyama Prefectural Takashinokuni Literature Center), Mitsuru Yaku (cartoonist), and Yoko Otsuka (chief editor of “Basic knowledge of modern terms”). In addition, the “2025 T&D Insurance Group New Words and Vocabulary Award ‘Selection Committee Member’s Special Prize'” went to “Mr. Professional Baseball” (Shigeo Nagashima). The winners and their commentaries are as follows. The winner is Sanae Takaichi, Prime Minister of Japan. The business community, which has been working to promote reform of work styles, was taken aback by her spirited speech, which has not been heard in recent years. Her arrival at the residence at 3:00 a.m. caused further controversy, and there were reports that the fax machine at the Diet member’s residence was jammed. But on the other hand, many members of the Showa generation may have felt the same way, saying, “That’s the way work used to be. The reality is that some places have achieved a work style that respects diversity, while others are still in the middle of the road. There is no doubt that the first female prime minister, who worked and worked and worked to get where she is today. Domestic and diplomatic issues are piling up. We cannot afford to let our guard down on any of them. Let us work and work and work and work, while at the same time making the most of others and developing ourselves. Let us create a strong and happy Japan through the “thin work-life balance” of the Takaichi way. The winner of this award is multi-artist Mai Ujita, whose X (formerly Twitter) account name is “Uoza. A meme is an image or video posted on the Internet that is altered by another person to add a punchline and then spread around for enjoyment. One meme that became a hot topic this year was “Echoehoehoehoehoehoehoehoehoehoehoehoehoehoehoe. The original meme originated from a photo of a barn owl chick posted by Dutch photographer Honey Heele. It is frantically moving its arms and legs to get somewhere. The fact that she used this as a way of saying “I have to tell you something,” even though it is not an urgent matter, is brilliant, and it is no wonder it has spread so quickly. For a long time, things have always started with a “Hey, listen to me. Even Heiji Zenigata’s henchmen run in and say, “Hey, hey, hey, hey! is when the henchmen come running to the scene. In this age of instantaneous information transmission via social networking services, the phrase “eh-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho” has become a popular phrase among children and adults alike. The winner of the “Old Media” award is Shigeharu Aoyama, Vice Minister of the Environment, member of the House of Councilors, and writer. In recent mayoral and national elections, it has been commented that “SNS is influential, while newspapers and TV are now unnecessary old media. However, SNS also has an aspect of a publicity medium, and it is a theory in the advertising industry that publicity and public relations strategies can generate buzz about products and lead to sales. This has now been applied to the world of politics, and if you get a buzz on social networking sites, you get elected. Although it is the voters who chose them, the method of gaining support by conveniently and enthusiastically broadcasting only one-sided opinions in a short time with clipped videos and short periods of time, exposing the media with a history of verifying, analyzing, and discussing the politicians to criticism as “old,” is too disorganized. In the Trump administration in the U.S., the White House press secretary has been giving priority to influencers and online media in his press conferences, making a clear distinction with the traditional media. The winner of the “Urgent Gun Hunting/Bear Damage” award is Michihiro Tazawa, a government hunter. On October 15, 2025, the nation’s first emergency gun hunting operation to remove bears was held in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture. As of the end of October, 196 people have been injured by bears since April of this year. This is the second highest number after 219 in 2023, when bears appeared abnormally and OSO (OSO) 18 was exterminated. The number of fatalities is the worst on record at 12, up from 6 in 2011. They invade homes, fields, persimmon trees in gardens, supermarkets, and the town hall by opening automatic doors. Urban bears do not avoid people even more than in 2011, when they became a problem, increasing the danger to the general population. The effectiveness of bear bells in climbing and camping has been compromised, and abnormal behavior has been observed, such as not escaping even with bear repellent spray, indicating a clear change in the situation. Bears, once a wild animal that was “rarely encountered by bad luck,” have now become “a threat right next door. The winner of the “National Treasure” award was the “National Treasure” Production Committee. The film drew 12.31 million viewers and grossed over 17.37 billion yen, making it the number one Japanese live-action film at the box office. In this age of video streaming services, this record-breaking number represents the enthusiasm of people who go to theaters. When asked, “Did you see National Treasure?” some say “Yes,” while others say “Not yet. Those who are moved by the play after seeing it watch it several times or read the original play and run with it. They cannot escape the strong impact of the film after seeing it. After viewing the film, people talk about how well the female actors, Ryo Yoshizawa and Ryusei Yokohama, fit in with Min Tanaka, and the beauty of the images. Only a film can show us how dynamic the Kabuki stage is. The three hours of the film, which includes a helpful catalog of famous Kabuki scenes, will fly by in no time. The film made me want to see the actual Kabuki performance as well. The recipient of the award is the Japan Rice Merchants Association. On May 31, 2025, over-the-counter sales of government “stockpiled rice” through voluntary contracts began. At the supermarkets that took the lead, there was such a shortage of rice for households that 500 bags were sold out in 30 minutes. The 2021 stockpiled rice, or “kokko mai,” which the leader of the opposition party said would be used as animal feed after one year, has been renamed ko mai, ko ko mai, ko ko mai, and so on, each time a year passes. The price hike that had been continuing since the 2021 rice riots that broke out last year finally showed a downward trend, and while there was a sense of relief that the new rice would be even easier to buy once it was released, the price began to rise again in August of this year. Last year, we had heard that prices would settle down once the new rice was released, but what a return to that trend! What in the world is going on? Many people asked, “What is going on? Producers and consumers are always at loggerheads over any product, but they are not friend and foe. However, when it comes to rice, we hear people saying, “The new Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is on the side of the consumer” or “on the side of the producer. The uproar gave us a glimpse into the nature of Japan’s agricultural policy. The winner of the “80th Anniversary of the End of World War II/100th Anniversary of the Showa Era” award is nonfiction writer Masayasu Hosaka. The year 2025 marks the 100th anniversary of the Showa period, which began in December 1926. It will also mark the 80th anniversary of the “postwar period,” which began with the end of the war in August 1945. It has also been 30 years since the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and 30 years since the Aum Shinrikyo subway sarin gas attack. It is an era in which not all problems can be easily answered, and it is precisely because of this that we must all continue to face and think about a variety of issues. We, the generation that has never known war, need to relearn the history of the Showa period and the history of Japan, and make efforts to continue to live in peace. There are plenty of books, plays, movies, and other learning materials available to help us face, learn, and reexamine history. The winner of the “Trump Tariff” award is Ryosei Akazawa, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry. On January 20, 2025, the second Trump administration took office. In April, he announced a list of “reciprocal tariffs” on trade partners, including Japan, on social networking sites. Although the legal basis of whether tariff rates can be determined by presidential authority and the formula for calculating the numbers were not well understood, the unprecedented trade tariffs, which had to be negotiated anyway, caused a stir around the world. The Japanese government dispatched Ryosei Akazawa, then Minister of State for Economic Revitalization, to request a review of the tariffs. He wore a MAGA cap to the White House and described himself as “lower in rank than anyone else,” but the result was a 15% tariff rate. Many citizens felt encouraged by Akazawa’s tenacious negotiations with the Trump administration and his return to Japan. The winners of the “Two Seasons” award are Yoshihiro Tachibana, a professor of Mie University Graduate School, and Mao Takigawa, a graduate student of Mie University Master’s Program. It is already hot after cherry blossom viewing, and it is still hot even though sanma (mackerel) is tasty. Hot, hot, hot” has become a standard greeting this summer, and another one has been added: “How long is this heat going to last? How long is this heat going to last? My spring coat has been out of action, and I may or may not have worn my long-sleeved autumn shirt once or twice. It was a year in which we realized that spring and fall had faded away. The apparel industry has already begun to shift its product lineup, treating the year as a two-season period. The research group of Professor Yoshihiro Tachibana of Mie University has scientifically clarified this shift to two seasons based on observational data: over the 42-year period from 1982 to 2023, summer in Japan has become about three weeks longer, while spring and fall have become shorter. The factor is global warming. The 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was held this year in November. According to a survey by a global public opinion research firm, 49% of respondents said that COP30 would be merely symbolic. Dissatisfaction is said to be growing among developed countries, which bear the burden of funding the event. Now that many people are beginning to feel that we have two seasons instead of four, we should think about stopping global warming. The winner is Myakmyak, the official character of Expo ’70 Osaka-Kansai. In 2022, an eerie character with a big impact was born: Myakmyak, the official character of the 2025 Japan International Exposition. The Osaka-Kansai Expo, which was not well received by the public, has seen a steady increase in the number of visitors since its opening. Myakmyak’s popularity has also been on a steady rise. Crowds gathered around the stuffed animals and related goods sold like hotcakes, making headlines day after day. The Tower of the Sun, built for the 1970 Japan World Exposition, is another example. The face in the center of the tower’s body, the “face of the sun,” is also a funny face. There is no doubt that this funny face continues to emit the unfathomable energy of its creator, Taro Okamoto, 55 years later. I wonder where Myakmyak will be playing in Osaka in the future. The winner of the “Selection Committee’s Special Award” “Mr. Professional Baseball” is Shigeo Nagashima. On June 3, 2025, Shigeo Nagashima, honorary manager for life of the Yomiuri Giants, passed away. He was a symbolic figure who continued to light up Japan from the postwar reconstruction period to the era of rapid economic growth and made Japanese professional baseball a national sport. At that time, many boys in youth baseball admired Mr. Nagashima and wanted to wear the number 3 on their backs. It is said that some teams even had all of their players wear the number 3. He was known as the “Burning Man” because of his dynamic play, his competitive spirit, and his brightness like the sun. Shigeo Nagashima won many titles. In his retirement game in 1974, he famously said, “The Giants will be immortal forever,” and the selection committee members said, “Shigeo Nagashima is the one who will be immortal forever. I am Hakuzan Kanda, and this is my first time to be asked to serve as a member of the selection committee for the Ryuko Word Award. This year has been a year of great political upheaval, and I feel that the power of social networking has increased even more. More than all kinds of entertainment, the political trends themselves made me feel a kind of “entertainment” ensemble drama that transcended them. In addition, there was also the enrichment of pure entertainment such as the movies “Kokuhou” and “Oni no Kane” as well as “Hiyoroku,” so it can be said that this was a year of enrichment except for the sports word. Nameko Shinsan] Looking at the nominated words, I feel that 2025 was a year of milestones. In the “80th year after the war/100th year of the Showa era,” the first ever “female prime minister” was born, the “election of the Pope” took place in both the movie and in reality, and something happened to Japan on “July 5th” that almost reset the country. Nevertheless, the Osaka-Kansai Expo was successfully held, and “Myakmyak,” which looked ominous at first, has now become a national character. The words “national treasure” and words from hit songs also became popular, and perhaps the lack of sports-related words made this year a strong year for culture-related words. I’m going to have a long conversation with “Chappie” and continue to become more and more of an indoor person. …… Patrick Harlan] The buzzwords show how much the information environment in Japan has diversified in recent years. In the past, the main focus would have been on “new words” derived from TV, but now there are TV words, buzzwords from TikTok and other social networking sites, and trends that have emerged on the street. The information sources of the selection committee members varied, and I don’t think any of them had a complete grasp of all the new words. Even among a few of us, there were quite a few different things that were popular this year, and our evaluations of myakmyak varied as well! I feel that Japan and the Japanese language are becoming more and more interesting! I thought that the year of the 100th anniversary of the Showa Era would be marked by a flurry of words, but in fact, it has brought to light the fact that we as a nation are losing the luxury of time in our lives. After all, the first female prime minister’s catchphrase in politics is “I will work and work and work and work. I was disgusted by “Trump Tariffs,” “Koko Koko Rice,” and “Diploma in 19.2 seconds,” and cheered up a little by “National Treasure,” “Myakmyak,” and “Maorayu. The extreme weather and bear damage that has been causing total damage for several years now has entered a new phase, and the phrases “two seasons” and “emergency gun hunting” have been used to describe the situation. I hope that next year, more and more buzzwords will appear that everyone will want to talk about with a smile. Yaku Mitsuru: At the end of the first half of this year, many words related to the rice shortage were on the lips of the public, but other than that, there were not enough words of note, and I was worried about the future. However, the situation suddenly changed. The summer, which seemed to have skipped the spring, became more and more intense, and in the local political circles, one by one, more and more crazy people began to appear. …… In the fall, the first female prime minister made a dashing appearance, issuing a series of vigorous speeches. On the other hand, damage to bears in their habitat was reported day after day, and I saw the words “bear damage,” but was that “kuma-gai” or “yugai”? Is it “yuugai” or “yuugai”? How was it correctly read? And finally, no sports-related word made the list of the 30 candidates. In such a year, “Mr. Professional Baseball” Shigeo Nagashima, whose every utterance was a buzzword, passed away. We would like to take this opportunity to express our condolences to him as well as to the many “Nagashima sayings. Yoko Otsuka] It was the first half of the year in which “rice” related to U.S. President Trump and the rice riots seemed to be the only key word. Words and working environments change with the times, but work-life balance should not be discarded. While words with a sense of stagnation were also nominated, considering the current disorderly situation of social networking services, it seems necessary to cultivate eyes to see the truth rather than criticizing only the “old media. Words express the times. I will continue to look back on what this year, the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, was like, and continue the process of searching for words.
