Japanโs Kanji of the Year (ไปๅนดใฎๆผขๅญ) 2025 has been announced.
Kanji of the Year:
็ (kuma / bear)
Votes: 23,346
Second place:
็ฑณ (kome / rice)
Votes: 23,166
Third place:
้ซ (taka / high, expensive)
Votes: approx. 18,300
๐ปTotal votes cast:
189,122
How it is chosen?
The Kanji of the Year is organized by the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation.
Anyone can vote. It is a public ballot, not an expert or academic selection.
Voting rules are simple
- One kanji per person
- A short reason is submitted but does not affect counting
- Votes are collected online, by postcard, and via ballot boxes
- The kanji with the highest number of votes wins (simple plurality)
Why ็ (kuma) won?
็ became a strong symbol this year due to the sharp increase in bear sightings and attacks across Japan.
It represents public anxiety, environmental imbalance, and the feeling that even everyday living areas are no longer completely safe.
Note๐
The Kanji of the Year is not meant to be positive.
It reflects public sentiment, major headlines, and the overall social mood of the year.
Well, as you can see above youโll have an idea what Japan is going on the whole year round.
The result is announced every December 12 at Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto, written in large calligraphy as a symbolic act.
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