The kanji "sho" for "hot" has been chosen by the Japanese people as best representing 2010 in a poll organized by the Kyoto-based Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation. No doubt the memory of last summer's record-breaking heat is still fresh in people's minds, but ironically the summer also brought to light how "cold" human relationships have become in contemporary Japan, as symbolized in the new coinage "muen shakai" (disconnected society). The social isolation and hidden poverty of many was revealed in people dying alone in their rooms of heat stroke, while the missing centenarians and shocking child abuse cases highlighted the weakening of the family ties.

Rather than hot, the national mood in 2010 might better be described as lukewarm, as a dispirited younger generation faced an uncertain employment future and citizens were discouraged by the slow pace of political change. Nostalgia for an earlier Japan, which, while not as affluent, did have stronger family and community ties and a sense of national purpose, would seem to have played some part in the popularity this past year of "GeGeGe no nyobo" (Wife of the GeGeGe Cartoonist), in which Nunoe Mura, the wife of manga artist Shigeru Mizuki, wrote about their married life in Showa Japan. This autobiography was adapted as the morning NHK drama and then as a full-length movie. In fact, GeGeGe no was chosen as the top buzz word for 2010 by the publishers of the annual almanac "Gendai yogo no kiso chishiki" (Encyclopedia of Contemporary Words).

The arts scene has also been suffering the cool winds of an age of austerity, but in a bit of welcome news the Finance Ministry has proposed allocating a new high of ¥203 billion for the promotion of cultural activities in the coming fiscal year's budget, increased from ¥102 billion in fiscal 2010. The Democratic Party of Japan is hoping that its Cool Japan initiative, building on the popularity of Japanese anime, food, and fashion abroad, can be one area of growth for the Japanese economy.