Interest

Love-Liver, Tōken Joshi Nominated for Top Buzzword of 2015

The Ryuukougo Taishou contest has just announced its nominations for 2015, and Love Live! and Tōken Ranbu terminology have made the cut.

Every year, the Jiyuu Kokumin Sha holds an awards contest for the top buzzwords in Japan. Included among the 50 nominations are the terms "Love-Liver" and "Tōken joushi." "Love-Liver" refers to a fan of Love Live! while "Tōken joushi" refers to the female audience of browser game Tōken Ranbu.

The other 48 words are as follows:

• bakugai (a term for buying in large quantities)
• inbound (a term for tourists in Japan)
• agokui (the act of pulling someone's head up by their chin)
• doragenai (a Japanese meme that parodies "Dragon Night," a song by J-rock band SEKAI NO OWARI)
• pro-girlfriend (only wanting a famous Japanese celebrity as a girlfriend)
• "So warm..." (an upcoming single from J-pop band Kumamushi)
• Hai, ronpa (a catchphrase from TV series "Scatto Japan")
• "Please don't worry, I'll wear it." (a phrase from Japanese comedian Tonikaku Akarui Yasamura)
• masha loss (a term for losing out; a jab at Japanese musician Masaharu Fukuyama)
• Everyday Shuzo (a Japanese motivational self-help book series)
• Hibana (a Japanese comedy novella)
• We'll commit to the results (a phrase from a Japanese fitness commercial)
• Goromaru pose (the signature pose of Japanese rugby player Ayumu Goromaru)
• triple three (a reference to baseball batting stats)
• ichioku soukatsuyaku (the slogan for a Japanese company)
• emblem (likely referring to the Olympic emblem to be used in Tokyo in 2020)
• jōkyu kokumin (a term for Japanese national identity)
• blank withdrawal (Japanese bank terminology)
• I AM KENJI (refers to the mourning of Japanese citizen Kenji Goto, who was kidnapped and murdered along with Haruna Yukawa by Islamic State militants)
• I am not Abe (protesting prime minister Shinzo Abe's political dealings)
• silently (possible reference to Japan electricity functioning)
• development of forceful domestic legislation (recent ruling by Japanese government)
• current crisis situation (reference to arming Japanese military for protecting citizens)
• rushed escort (a Japanese military deployment plan)
• It is not for the public to understand
• Sticking to labels (a term for conforming to stereotypes)
• We will not succumb to terrorism
• "Hurry and answer the question" (a quote from Shinzo Abe to Japanese democratic politician Kiyomi Tsujimoto)
• We won't allow Abe's politics
• war bill (a reference to Prime Minister Abe's plans)
• I feel bad for the liberal democratic party
• SEALDs (a student activist organization protesting Abe)
• torima, haian (a protest sign used by Japanese students to oppose recent security bills)
• Osaka Metropolis Plan (a plan to update the Osaka area)
• My Number (an overarching term for Japanese citizen data statistics)
• Karyuu Roujin (a recent Japanese book)
• Challenge (a campaign from Japanese company Benesse)
• owahara (Japanese slang for job hunting harassment)
• supermoon (the event in which the moon is bigger and brighter than it usually is)
• Hokuriku Shinkansen (a high speed Japanese railway)
• drone (military drones)
• minimalist
• routine
• morahara (Japanese shorthand for "moral harassment")
• frenemy
• third wave coffee
• onigirazu (a Japanese seaweed wrap)

The winners will be announced on December 1.

Last year's contest nominated terms such as "ebola virus" and "Just as I am," which is the Japanese title of "Let It Go," the famous song from the Disney film Frozen.

[Via Anibu]