Four-Character Idiom of the Year Reflects Rice Shortages

Dec 18, 2025 | News On Japan

TOKYO - The grand prize has been announced in the annual Creative Four-Character Idiom Awards, which capture the social mood of the year through newly coined expressions, with the winning works unveiled this year through a dynamic calligraphy performance by high school students.

Now in its 36th year, the contest attracted about 24,000 entries from across Japan, with selected works written live on stage by members of the calligraphy performance club at Ueno Gakuin High School. The event drew additional attention when Myakumyaku, the official mascot of the Osaka World Expo, appeared at the venue, joining the students in a performance set to the Expo’s theme song and energizing the audience.

The top prize went to “Kome Funto,” a playful twist on the phrase “Kogun Funto,” meaning a lone struggle, rewritten with the character for old rice. The winning idiom reflects social conditions in 2025, including headlines surrounding rice shortages and the release of government stockpiled rice.

Organizers explained that rice became a major topic of public concern during the year, and the idiom was chosen to capture how staple foods once again played a central role in daily life and national discussion.

Among the other award-winning entries was “Myaku Ten Manten,” a pun combining Myakumyaku with the phrase meaning a perfect score, highlighting the influence of the Expo on the year’s atmosphere. In total, nine works received awards.

One participant said they were surprised at first that the winning idiom was not directly tied to the Expo, but added that the rice issue had become such a major news story that the selection felt fitting and memorable.

Source: Television OSAKA NEWS

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