By KENSAKU NISHIDA/ Staff Writer
December 12, 2022 at 18:02 JST
Seihan Mori, chief abbot of Kiyomizudera temple in Kyoto, draws “sen” for the kanji of the year. (Kenta Sujino)
KYOTO--“Sen,” meaning “war,” is the kanji of the year for 2022, the Kyoto-based Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation announced Dec. 12.
Seihan Mori, chief abbot of the renowned Kiyomizudera temple in Kyoto, wrote the kanji with a calligraphy brush on traditional “washi” paper measuring 1.5 meters long and 1.3 meters wide.
“I hope the ‘war’ ends next year and people can live in peace,” Mori said.
The foundation solicited suggestions nationwide from Nov. 1 to Dec. 5 for the kanji that most encapsulates the mood of the year.
A total of 223,768 submissions were made, of which 10,804 suggested “sen.”
Many cited Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as one reason for choosing the kanji.
Since the kanji can also be used when describing a thrilling sports match--such as “nessen” (close contest) and “chosen” (challenge)--many voters cited the Japan national soccer team’s success at the World Cup in Qatar and Shohei Ohtani’s superb achievements in major league baseball.
Others cited their daily struggles under the COVID-19 pandemic and with the recent price hikes.
The selecting of a kanji of the year began in 1995.
It was the second time “sen” received the most votes. The last time was 2001.
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