Japan chooses Bear as Kanji of 2025 after surge in attacks
On December 12, Japan chose Chinese character 'kuma', which means bear, as the Kanji of 2025, that best represents the social mood in the country in the current year, Qazinform News Agency reports.
According to Kyodo, the decision reflects a surge in bear attacks nationwide and growing public focus on pandas. Written with the kanji for bear and cat, pandas drew attention this year as four on loan to a western Japan zoo were sent back to China, leaving just two in the country.
Out of 189,222 entries, the kanji ‘kuma’ received 23,346 votes, marking its first-ever selection in the 31st annual competition organized by the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation. The organization collects submissions from the public through its website and postcards.
Chief Buddhist Priest Seihan Mori of Kyoto-based Kiyomizu Temple wrote the chosen character with a giant calligraphy brush on a traditional washi paper measuring approximately 1.5 meters high and 1.3 meters wide.
Standing second with 180 votes behind was the kanji ‘kome,’ meaning rice, which reflects the surge in prices for this staple food and the second inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, as the name of the United States combines the kanji for rice and nation.
And third is the kanji ‘taka,’ which means high, symbolizing rising costs as well as Japan’s historic milestone with the appointment of its first female prime minister Sanae Takaichi, whose surname begins with this character.
Kanji is one of the three scripts used in the Japanese language and consists of Chinese characters. Each kanji character carries its own meaning and typically corresponds to an entire word.
Earlier, it was reported that Forbes magazine placed Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi third in its List of World's 100 Most Powerful Women of 2025.