Every year in December the Japanese selects “Grand prize for neologisms and catchphrases” (shingo ryūkōgo taishō) Terms that particularly shaped Japanese society in the respective year or that went viral. In 2023, some terms had a sporting star, and in 2024 the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris will also have an influence on the media and social discussion. While a TV series can celebrate first place, terms related to political scandals and social trends made it into this year’s ranking. It’s also the first time in four years that the top picks aren’t baseball-related.
These are the keywords of 2024
1. Futehodo (futehodo) / “Extremely Inappropriate”
Today’s times are often decried as “woke” by critics, including in Japan: For the so-called Shōwa generation (1926-1989), work-life balance measures, gender equality and much more are apparently a step backwards: In the Comedy series “不適切にもほどがある!” (futeki setsu ni mo hodo go aru!literally “It’s nothing but inappropriate!”) from the Japanese broadcaster TBS is about proud sports teacher Ichirō (played by Abe Sadao), who desperately tries to return to 1986 after somehow ending up in 2024 – where his ironclad Shōwa views are now considered completely inappropriate. The series provides a biting comparison of how different society was 40 years ago. While many people romanticize the Shōwa period, along the lines of “everything used to be better,” there is no secret about how sexist and abusive this era actually was – but the modern Reiwa period (2019- ) also gets its fair share of fat away. “Futehodo,” as the series is abbreviated in Japan, strikes a balance between satire and touching family history and became a huge hit among viewers.
Outside Japan the series is known as “Extremely Inappropriate!” and can be seen on Netflix in this country.
(in no particular order from here on out)
2. Secret money problem (uragane mondai) / Black money problem
The LDP donation scandal once again shed light on the rampant corruption and bribery within the party. Prime Minister Ishiba promised to clean up his own ranks, but the result disappointed many voters. There were no far-reaching consequences, for which the population punished the LDP in the early elections in October. The word makes it clear how great the population’s discontent really is.
3. Neighborhood (seeker) / neighborhood or surrounding area
This term (which is actually meant in the geographical/urban planning sense) has become popular among the younger population as a description of a place or group where people with similar interests come together and spend time together. Shizen kaiwai (“Nature Neighborhood”), for example, refers to people who enjoy spending time in nature during mizuiro kaiwai (“light blue neighborhood”) attracts people who prefer light blue clothing.
4. Elderly Japan (shorō japan) / Early seniority Japan
During the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, an equestrian medal went to Japan for the first time in 92 years: the Japanese team won bronze in the team eventing. Their average age was 41.5 years, which is why the athletes affectionately gave themselves the nickname “Early Senior Age Japan”. The games initially didn’t turn out well for them when their health forced them to swap horses and riders, which earned them penalty points. But thanks to an extraordinary performance, the “senior team” still made it onto the podium.
6. 50-50
Baseball is the undisputed national sport of Japan – and star player Ōtani Shōhei in particular enjoys a legendary status among the population. Ōtani, who currently plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers, set a new record in 2024 when he hit his 50th home run. He became the first player to hit 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season and founded the “50-50 Club”.
7. Bling-Bang-Bang-Born
There really was no escaping this musical hit in 2024: young and old danced the simple and hilarious choreography of “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born”. The Japanese hip-hop duo Creepy Nuts became an international sensation with their complex but catchy rhythms – and people, especially on social media, imitated the dance moves from the corresponding anime opening “MASHLE: Magic and Muscles”. The duo also contributed the title song for “Extremely Inappropriate!” at.
8. White case (howaito anken) / “White Matter”
This term is a euphemism that is often used by dubious recruiters on social media to describe so-called yami baito (literally “dark jobs”) – ethically questionable or illegal odd jobs for an unusually high wage – to gloss over. Such jobs often involve fraud, for example by older people, but also extreme crimes such as burglary and robbery. Young or heavily indebted people in particular fall for the recruiters’ tricks or are persuaded to do such acts in exchange for quick money – a growing trend that the police have observed with concern for several years.
9. I couldn’t leave a famous quote (meigen ga nokosenakatta) / “I couldn’t say anything quote-worthy”
Javelin thrower Kitaguchi Haruka became the first Japanese woman to win the gold medal in the discipline at this year’s Olympic Games. Afterwards, however, she was frustrated that she couldn’t think of anything “quote-worthy” or inspiring to celebrate her win and personal best. The irony that this quote of all things helped Kitaguchi win the “Keyword of the Year” award was certainly not lost on her – but after such a historic sporting achievement, perhaps there is no need for inspiring words anymore.
10. That’s okay (for ee deshō) / “It’s enough now, right?”
The Netflix drama “Tokyo Swindlers” (in Japanese Jimenshi tachi), which was published in July, is about real estate fraudsters in Tokyo who undertake a particularly large but risky coup. One of the con artists, Gotō (played by Taki Pierre), repeats the line over and over again for ee deshō in a thick Kansai dialect – be it to interrupt a negotiation that was becoming difficult or in the sense of “For my sake”. The series was an international hit – and the sentence immediately went viral.
