2025 Kanji: Kuma, the bear
The Japanese Character Of The Year And Its Meaning
Since 1995 at the end of the year, Japaneses vote for what they consider the "kanji" of the year. The Japanese language uses more than 2,000 kanji characters, that are at the core of its writing system.
In 2025, the elected kanji is 熊 (kuma), that means "bear." It marks the noticeable increase of bear attacks over the year in Japan, injuring 192 and killing 13 persons. The phenomenon, already highlighted by the 2023 and 2025 Japanese Word of the Year, is emphasized by the loss of population in certain areas allowing the wild animals to roam freely closer to more densely inhabited places.
The word "bear" is also used for "panda," whose Chinese name combines the kanji of bear and cat 🐈 (熊猫, xiong mao). It remembers the 4 giant pandas living at a theme park 🎡 in Wakayama Prefecture and that were returned to China.
It is the 1rst time this kanji is selected, with 23,346 votes out of the 189,122 contributions.
The character 米 (kome / bei) is close second to kuma and is a reference to both the rice crisis in Japan, and to the transcription of "United States of America" 米国, whose erratic politics have a global impact. The 3rd character is 高 (taka / kô, high or expensive) and can represent: the inflation, the 1rst kanji in Takaichi Sanae’s name (高市早苗), as well as the higher temperatures caused by climate change in the archipelago.
The top 10 also includes: 脈 (myaku), 万 (man) and 博 (haku) that are references to Expo 2025 Osaka: Myaku Myaku is the name of the event’s mascot, and the association of man and haku is an abbreviation of the word 万国博覧会 (bankoku hakurankai) that means "universal exposition."
As usual, the kanji of the year was officially revealed and its calligraphy performed at the wonderful Kiyomizu-dera temple in Kyoto.
Kanji selected over the previous years
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2024: 金 (kin or kane, gold), to celebrate the successes of Japanese athletes at the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as Shohei Ohtani’s performances in base-ball. The negative aspects of 金 as "cash" or "currency" point to the latest slush funds political scandal, job offers leading to criminal activities and the ever rising inflation. This is the 5th selection of 金 as the kanji of the year.
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2023: 税 (zei, tax), in reference to talks on taxation reduction to help Japanese households’ finances in a context of a rising inflation, and to the new invoice system implemented this year to freelance workers.
- 2022: 戦 (sen, ikusa, war), in reference to the war in Ukraine and North Korea’s missile launches.
- 2021: 金 (kin, gold) after the Japanese athletes’s unprecedented gold medals harvest at Tokyo’s Olympics (27) and Paralympics (13), but also for other internationally renowned Japanese champions such as Shohei Ohtani.
- 2020: 密 (mitsu, promiscuity) along with the expression san mitsu (3密) describing the 3 situations to avoid in order to stop the Covid-19 pandemic.
- 2019: 令 (rei, beauty or order) to commemorate the beginning of Emperor Naruhito’s era, whose era name is Reiwa (令和).
- 2018: 災 (sai, natural disaster) following the various disasters that hit Japan in 2018: earthquakes, torrential rains, out of the ordinary typhoons, heat waves, etc.
- 2017: 北 (kita, the north) for North Korean missile launches and the north of Kyushu Island devastated by violent rainfalls.
- 2016: 金 (kin, gold) for the 12 gold medals won by Japan at the Rio Summer Olympics, but also in reference to the distinctive hair of Donald Trump, who was elected president of the United States in late 2016.
- 2015: 安 (an, safety / security) in reference to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s revision of the constitution to reinforce the country’s security.
- 2014: 税 (zei, tax) for the VAT raise from 5 to 8%.
- 2013: 輪 (rin, ring) for the 5 rings of the 2020 Olympic Games given to Tokyo.
- 2012: 金 (kin, gold) for the gold medals won by Japan at the London Olympic Games, but also in reference to the solar eclipse that could be seen throughout the country.
- 2011: 絆 (kizuna, link / connection) to reflect the feeling of Japanese society as a whole after going through a very hard year, due to 03/11 earthquake and tsunami. With 61,500 votes over a 500,000 total ballot, "link" was selected over 震 / tremor and 波 / wave. Kizuna naturally symbolizes the links created between the Japaneses facing hardships, natural disasters and Fukushima Nuclear power plant’s important radioactivity. The link also expresses the solidarity of the international community and Japan lovers around the globe that came to support Japan with the 頑張れ日本 / ganbare Nippon ("Hang in there, Japan!") catchphrase.