Japan Announces 30 Candidates for 2024 Buzzword Award

Organizers of Japan's annual "New and Trendy Words" award, commonly known as the Buzzword Award, have unveiled a list of 30 candidate terms for this year's recognition. The award, held annually, highlights words and expressions that gained significant traction in Japanese society over the past year, often mirroring shifts in entertainment, social media culture, and public discourse.

Among the nominees is "metsu," a slang expression used to convey being utterly overwhelmed by affection for something, often used online by fans of celebrities or characters. Also featured is "Chiikawa," the name of an immensely popular cute cartoon character that has become something of a cultural phenomenon in Japan, appearing across merchandise, social media, and collaborations. A further nominee, roughly translating to "it will work out somehow," reflects a lighter, more reassuring tone found among some of this year's entries.

Commentator Nakanishi Masao, writing about the announcement, observed a notable trend: comedy catchphrases, which were once a near-guaranteed staple of the Buzzword Award, have become increasingly rare among recent nominees. For much of the award's history, phrases coined by television comedians dominated the shortlist and frequently went on to win, becoming part of everyday vernacular. Nakanishi's analysis suggests that the landscape generating viral language in Japan has shifted considerably, with social media platforms, sports achievements, and entertainment franchises now serving as more significant sources of trending vocabulary than traditional comedy television.

This shift, according to the commentary, raises questions about how Japanese popular culture consumes and generates language in an era dominated by digital platforms rather than broadcast television. The 30 candidates announced this year span a broad spectrum of subjects, from internet slang to entertainment references, illustrating the diverse channels through which new expressions now enter mainstream usage.

As is customary, a final selection committee will choose the winning word, or words, from the list of 30 candidates, with the result to be announced later in the year. The Buzzword Award remains a closely watched cultural event in Japan, offering an annual snapshot of the expressions that defined public conversation and collective attention.