Japan Announces 30 Candidates for 2024 Buzzword Award
Listen to the story
Japan has released its annual list of 30 candidate words for the "New and Trendy Words" award, known as the Buzzword Award. This yearly award celebrates words and phrases that became especially popular during the year, often reflecting social trends, entertainment, or current events.
Among this year's nominees is "metsu," a slang term expressing being completely overwhelmed by love for something. Another candidate is "Chiikawa," the name of a very popular cute cartoon character that has become a major cultural trend in Japan. A third phrase mentioned, "nantokanareh," meaning roughly "it will work out somehow," also appears among the nominees.
Commentator Nakanishi Masao discussed the list, pointing out an interesting shift: comedy catchphrases, once a staple of the Buzzword Award, have become less common in recent years. In earlier decades, phrases created by TV comedians frequently topped the list and entered everyday conversation. Nakanishi's commentary suggests that the sources of popular language in Japan are changing, with social media, sports moments, and entertainment franchises now playing a bigger role than traditional television comedy.
The full list of 30 words reflects a wide range of topics from entertainment to everyday life. The final winning word, or words, will be selected from this list and announced later in the year, as is the tradition. The Buzzword Award is closely followed in Japan each year, as it offers a snapshot of what topics and expressions captured public attention and shaped conversations throughout the past twelve months.
Vocabulary6 words
- candidate
- something being considered for a prize or position
- Buzzword Award
- a yearly prize given to very popular new words
- metsu
- a slang word meaning to feel completely overwhelmed by love for something
- Chiikawa
- a popular small cute cartoon character in Japan
- catchphrases
- short memorable phrases, often made famous by comedians
- staple
- something that appears regularly and is expected
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Quiz
Answer key
1. To recognize popular new words and phrases 2. Comedy catchphrases have become less common 3. True
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Japan has released its annual list of _____ candidate words for the "New and Trendy Words" award, known as the Buzzword _____. This yearly award celebrates words and phrases that became especially popular during the year, often reflecting social trends, _____, or current events.
Among this year's nominees is "metsu," a slang term expressing being completely _____ by love for something. Another candidate is "_____," the name of a very popular cute cartoon character that has become a major cultural trend in Japan.
Commentator Nakanishi Masao discussed the list, pointing out an interesting shift: comedy _____, once a staple of the Buzzword Award, have become less common in recent years. In earlier decades, phrases created by TV _____ frequently topped the list.
The full list of 30 words reflects a wide range of topics from entertainment to everyday life. The final winning word will be _____ from this list and announced later in the year.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think comedy catchphrases were once so popular as buzzwords?
- What kinds of words or phrases become popular in your country each year?
- Do you think social media has changed how new slang spreads? How?
- Can you think of a word from a cartoon or show that became very popular where you live?
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