The 2019 Rugby World Cup, natural disasters and cashless payment inspired a large portion of the nominations for the annual buzzword of the year awards.
The words selected for the 2019 U-Can Shingo Ryukogo Taisho (2019 U-Can New Words and Buzzword Awards) reflect the nation’s social trends, as well as what has made headlines in politics, business, entertainment and sports this year.
Last year’s winning word was “sodanē,” essentially a shortened form of sō da ne (that’s right) that was popularized by Japan’s female curling team during the Pyeongchang Olympics.
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