On November 5, the publisher Jiy Kokuminsha announced its list of nominees for the words and phrases encapsulating the zeitgeist of the year 2020. A complete list of the nominees, explained.

As expected, the COVID-19 pandemic figured heavily in this years list of nominees for the Word (or Words) of the Year. The spread of the novel coronavirus meant that terms describing the disease and medical measures taken in response, along with those talking about its impact on society and peoples lives, were certain to appear frequently on the list of 30 terms released annually by the publisher Jiy Kokuminsha, whose annual language guide Gendai ygo no kiso chishiki (Basic Knowledge on Contemporary Terminology) is also likely to focus on them in its next edition.

As Japan grappled with its new normal, and people who were not essential workers were pressed to stay at home, perhaps ordering from Uber Eats and passing the time with some Animal Crossing, the Japanese language saw these phrases, and many more listed below, enter the mainstream of everyday communication.

4 Ai no fujichaku/Dai-yoji Kanry bmu. South Koreas hit Netflix drama Sarangui bulsichak (Crash Landing on You) told the story of a cross-border love affair between members of the southern and northern elite. Under its Japanese title, Ai no fujichaku, it was seen as part of a fourth Korean wave to hit the countrys shores.

Atarashii seikatsu yshiki/Ny nmaru. During the COVID-19 pandemic, people in Japan and around the world have adjusted the way they live to reduce the risk of infection. Increases in wearing of masks and working from home are among such actions representing the new normal.

Atsumori. Launched in March 2020, shortly before Japan declared a pandemic state of emergency calling on residents to stay indoors, Nintendos smash simulation game Atsumare: Dbutsu no Mori (Animal Crossing: New Horizons) offered a way to pass the time that was enthusiastically taken up by many.

Abenomasuku. Face mask shortages in the early stages of the pandemic prompted Prime Minister Abe Shinz to institute a policy distributing millions of cloth masks to households across Japan. Nicknamed Abenomasks after his Abenomics economic policies, the face coverings came under fire, however, for being too small.

Amabie. One unexpected result of the COVID-19 outbreak was a revival in popularity for the ykai (supernatural spirit) Amabie, which legend claims first emerged from the sea in the nineteenth century. Its purported efficacy against disease led to its image appearing on many goods, and it even formed the model for wagashi sweets.

b tsu. With more people staying at home, food delivery firm Uber Eats got a boost, and bicycle and motorbike riders carrying its cubic backpacks became a familiar sight on Japanese streets.

AI-goe. Prodigy Fujii Sta made further strides in shgi this year, winning his first two major titles either side of his eighteenth birthday. His instinct for the best move led him to be described as better than AI.

Essensharu wk. Japan was among the countries noting the contributions of essential workers who cannot operate remotely, such as health workers, supermarket clerks, and waste collectors.

Ouchi jikan/sutei hmu. As politicians called on residents to stay at home, people found new ways to spend the ouchi jikan (home time). Singer Hoshino Gen created social media buzz with his Instagram-released song Uchi de odor (Dance at Home).

Onrain . Zoom and other services provided venues for online activities that were previously normally face to face, including medical checks, lessons, work meetings, family visits, and drinking parties.

Kaogei/Ongaeshi. The popular drama Hanzawa Naoki returned to broadcaster TBS, entertaining fans with its characteristic over-the-top showmanship. Viewers have delighted in the kabuki-like exaggerated facial expressions of performers, the kaogei typically captured close-up for full dramatic effect. Actor Kagawa Terayuki, in the role of wada Akira, struck a chord with his line promising ongaeshirepayment in kind for the offenses of a rivaldelivered with spine-tingling impact.

Kagopaku. Supermarkets and other retailers rolled out preventive measures after enduring an uptick in customers walking off with shopping baskets to avoid paying newly mandated fees for plastic bags that went into effect in July. The term combines kago (basket) with the colloquialism pakuru, meaning to steal.

Kimetsu no yaiba. The comic series Demon Slayer by Gotge Koyoharu has come to be a social phenomenon in Japan, with fans of all ages mimicking the catch phrases of characters and tuning in to watch the animated television spinoff. In October, an anime movie based on the work shattered Japanese box office records, earning over 10 billion in the first 10 days after its release.

Kurasut. As the coronavirus pandemic rages, Japan has made scouting out and preventing clusters, or groups of cases tied to a certain place and time, a central plank of its COVID-19 response strategy.

Ksui. Musician Eito found unexpected fame with his song Ksui (Perfume). Released in April 2019, the tune stayed under the radar until early 2020, when TikTok users began sharing covers of the tune on the app, bringing it to the attention of celebrities who then featured the song in videos.

GoTo GoTo kyanpn. The government rolled out its controversial GoTo campaigns in a bid to boost the countrys service industry, which has been hit hard by the pandemic. The programs provide subsidies of varying amounts for travel, eating out, shopping, and attending events, but they have drawn criticism due to cases of abuse and health concerns over spreading the coronavirus.

3 San mitsu (mittsu no mitsu). The World Health Organization has recently adopted the strategy of avoiding the three Cs to prevent the spread of COVID-19, borrowing a page from the Japanese three mitsu playbook of steering clear of confined and enclosed spaces (mippei), crowded places (missh), and close-contact settings (missetsu).

Jishuku keisatsu. In the early months of the pandemic, the government asked residents to show self-restraint (jishuku) by refraining from going out unless absolutely necessary and likewise implored shops to close their doors for a set time. While authorities had no legal means to enforce the policy, do-gooders stepped in as self-appointed police (keisatsu), scolding people for not wearing masks, berating drivers with out-of-prefecture plates, and rebuking businesses for staying open.

Zoom Zoom bae. With remote work on the rise, employees using conferencing apps like Zoom are trying to stand out at online meetings with eye-catching virtual backgrounds and perfectly applied makeup. The newly coined phrase combines the popular service with the verb haeru, meaning to look nice or stand out.

Sgteki, fukanteki. Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide drew sharp criticism from opposition leaders and scholars for rejecting six appointees to the Science Council of Japan, a leading academic body in the country. Suga refrained from giving a specific reason for the refusal, insisting instead that the decision was to ensure the comprehensive (sgteki) and panoramic (fukanteki) activities of the organization.

Ssharu disutansu. Social distance was the imported term describing the space people needed to maintain among themselves to avoid the three Cs and stay safe from COVID-19 infection while taking part in activities in social settings.

Soro kyanpu. Solo camping was one popular way for people to maintain that distance while enjoying the great outdoors. Camping had a growing allure for nature-lovers before the pandemic kicked in, with the comedian Hiroshi launching a popular YouTube channel detailing his outdoor exploits and glamping, glamorous camping with comfortable lodgings and high-end cuisine, also attracting big spenders to Japans wilder locations.

Terewku/Wkshon. Telework became a mainstay for white-collar workers able to do their jobs from home or other non-office locations, while workations were promoted by national and local governments, along with some major employers, as a way to keep the engines of industry running while workers enjoyed time in resort settings. Rimto wku (remote work) and zaitaku kinmu (performing ones duties at home) were also commonly heard terms in 2020.

Toki o modos. Lets go back in time was the phrase used by Shinji Taiy, half of the comedy duo Pekopa, to get the conversation back on track when his partner, Shpei, made a foolish statement as the boke, the dim-witted foil to Shinjis sharp-tongued tsukkomi character. The pairs popular acts revolved around Shinjis clever last-minute verbal gymnastics to turn an insult toward Shpei into an (often snobbish) admission that his point of view had something to it as well.

NiziU Pronounced nij in Japanese, this all-girl idol group came out of the Nizi Project, which held grueling auditions in the standard Korean pop-music style to choose its members from a pool of Japanese and Korean applicants. Produced by J. Y. Park, who also put megastars like Twice and 2PM on K-pop fans radar, NiziU saw its popularity boom with a website sharing the groups videos with eager viewers.

Nk sesshokusha. Close contacts were people who had spent a considerable amount of time with, or been physically close to, confirmed carriers of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Health workers sought to track down these contacts, who had a high likelihood of testing positive themselves, before they could spread COVID-19 to others. The technical definition of these close contacts eventually came to encompass people who had been near (within 1 meter of) a confirmed virus carrier, without wearing masks or taking other precautions, for 15 minutes or more within two days of the carriers hospitalization.

BLM BLM und. The Black Lives Matter movement made its impact felt in Japan, too, after George Floyd, an African-American, was killed by police in Minneapolis, Minnesota, touching off protests that spread across the United States and then worldwide. Tennis star saka Naomi boosted awareness of the movement in Japan with the masks that she wore bearing the names of victims of racist violence.

PCR PCR kensa. Polymerase chain reaction testing is a common, if complex, way to test for SARS-CoV-2 infection in an individual. Positive results for these tests represent the bulk of the total confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in Japan to date.

Fuwa-chan. The stage name taken by Fuwa Haruka for her YouTube exploits became a highly recognized moniker across all media this year. Usually clad in neon colors and a sports bra, Fuwa-chan is an energetic celeb who has successfully made the leap from her video channel to television shows ranging from comedy to infotainment.

M n. Yeah, well, youre right there was a catch phrase used by the members of the female comedy team Boru-jukuparticularly Tanabe Chika, who commonly says it when Kgo Anri manages to defuse an insult delivered by her or the third group member, Kiriya Haruka, about Tanabes appearance. (A fourth member, Sakayori Nozomi, is taking time off for childbirth, but narrates the groups videos on YouTube.)

(Originally published in English. Banner photo: People lined up for the reopening of Tokyos Ueno Zoo on June 23, 2020, maintain social distance as they wait to enter. Jiji.)

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