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

Typhoon No. 24 Lingers Near Okinawa

Typhoon No. 24 (Krovanh) was moving north southwest of Amami City on September 3, with Okinawa and the Amami Islands facing stronger winds, heavy rain and high waves as the storm approaches before following an unusually complex path that could prolong its effects for several days. As of 9 p.m. on September 3, the typhoon was south of the Amami region, with Okinawa's main island, the Amami Islands and southern parts of the Osumi and Satsuma peninsulas within its strong-wind zone.

Shinkansen Takes on Overnight Travel

Night trains are making a comeback across Japan, with railway operators introducing new overnight services and even experimenting with overnight Shinkansen trains as demand grows for alternatives that combine transportation, accommodation and the experience of traveling through the night.

Bear Attacks Continue as Peak Season Looms

Bear sightings and attacks have been reported across Japan throughout the summer, with animals damaging sheds, attacking livestock and injuring people, while experts warn that autumn is the most dangerous season as bears expand their range in search of food.

Japan to Conduct First Nationwide Survey of Animal Cafes

Japan's Environment Ministry will conduct its first survey of animal cafes, where customers can interact with animals including exotic species, as concerns grow over infection risks, injuries and the welfare burden placed on animals.

Haneda Tightens Baggage Deadline

Haneda Airport introduced two major changes on September 2, opening a new boarding facility at Terminal 1 while moving the checked-baggage deadline for all domestic flights to 30 minutes before departure.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Education NEWS

Japanese Students See Value in Cultural Understanding

Nearly 60% of Japanese high school students consider learning about different cultures "very important," the highest proportion among Japan, the United States, China and South Korea, according to a survey released by the National Institution for Youth Education.

Japan Prepares for Millions Aging Without Relatives

The number of elderly people in Japan with no relatives to rely on is projected to rise to 4.48 million by 2050, or roughly one in nine seniors, prompting the government to create a new system under revised social welfare laws to support people with daily needs, hospitalization and arrangements after death.

Japan Overhauls School Curriculum for AI Age

Japan's education ministry unveiled a draft of its new national curriculum guidelines on August 31, placing stronger information education for the AI era and greater flexibility in allocating classroom hours among the central pillars of the major overhaul carried out roughly once every decade.

8 Ways To Raise Your Motivation To Attract Your Best Life

When you are trying to attract your best life, motivation is key. Visualizing your desired outcome is a particularly powerful way to increase your motivation and attract your best life.

How Universities Design Their Graduation Certificates

Have you ever taken a close look at a university diploma when it's sitting framed on someone’s wall? More than just the paper it was printed upon, it’s an object that has been carefully designed so that it looks as good as it feels to the person who achieved it.

Wakayama Prepares for Bear Emergency

Wakayama Prefecture has conducted its first field exercise for emergency bear shooting, bringing together local government officials, police and hunters to practice responding to an Asiatic black bear remaining near a riverbank as sightings continue across Japan.

Free High School Tuition Intensifies Competition

Japan's expansion of effectively free high school tuition is giving families greater freedom to choose between public and private schools, but the policy is also accelerating a shift toward private education, leaving many public schools short of students and raising concerns that new forms of educational inequality are emerging.

Schools Turn to IT to Detect Students at Risk of Suicide

Tokyo's Adachi Ward will begin testing a digital screening system in September to identify students at risk of suicide, as schools strengthen prevention efforts during the period following the summer vacation, when child suicides are particularly high.

< 2 3 4 5 >