Video footage taken on Dec. 12 at Kiyomizudera temple in Kyoto shows chief priest Seihan Mori brushing the kanji of the year, “kuma,” (bear) during the iconic annual event. (Yoshiaki Arai)

Photo/Illutration Seihan Mori, the chief priest of Kiyomizudera temple in Kyoto, draws the kanji for “kuma” (bear) on Dec. 12. (Yoshiaki Arai)

KYOTO—The character for “kuma” (bear) is the kanji of the year, a not unexpected choice that narrowly edged out the character for “rice.”

The announcement was made on Dec. 12 at Kiyomizudera temple here, with chief priest Seihan Mori using bold strokes to draw the winning character on a giant sheet of paper.

The choice reflects a year marked by record bear sightings and attacks across the country, as well as the return of beloved giant pandas, “bear cats” in Chinese, to China.

The annual event is organized by the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation and invites the public to submit candidate characters. This year, a total of 189,122 votes were cast, with “bear” receiving 23,346.

With just 180 votes fewer than the top choice, second place went to “kome” (rice), symbolizing soaring prices of the staple crop.

The selection was also linked to the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, as the character is traditionally used to represent the United States due to its phonetic resemblance to “America” when pronounced using an alternate reading.

In third place was “taka” (high) with 18,300 votes, reflecting both the appointment of Sanae Takaichi as Japan’s first female prime minister and the rising cost of living.

The Osaka‑Kansai Expo influenced the rankings as well, with “myaku,” meaning “pulse” or “network,” chosen as the fourth-most popular character thanks to the event’s mascot, Myaku‑Myaku.

In fifth place was “ban” (numerous) as the character appears in the Japanese word for expo, or an event joined by many countries.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the kanji of the year tradition.

While some characters, such as “money” and “disaster,” have topped the list more than once, this is the first time “bear” was selected.

The newly drawn character will remain on display at the Buddhist temple’s main hall until Dec. 22, after which it will be exhibited at the Japan Kanji Museum in the city.

Related News