Viral hit: “Sanmitsu”, or “Three Cs” declared Japan’s watchword of the year

“Sanmitsu“- or the” Three Cs “approach to preventing COVID-19 infection by avoiding enclosed spaces, crowds and close contact situations – was chosen on Tuesday as Japan’s watchword of the year.

With the new coronavirus pandemic dominating everyday life, the words that made the top 10 were largely related to the virus. They included:

• “Abenomask”, which literally means “Abe’s mask” and describes one of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s COVID-19 policies to distribute two cloth masks per family, as stores across the nation have faced a shortage
• “Amabie”, a mythical sea creature that first appeared in popular consciousness in the Edo period (1603-1868) in Kumamoto Prefecture, which is said to predict both a rich harvest and a pandemic
• “Go To campaign”, which refers to a series of government programs designed to minimize and revitalize the economy amid the impacts of the pandemic, particularly in the affected tourism, food and entertainment sectors

The buzzwords, selected annually by the Jiyukokuminsha publishing house, provide a unique insight into the nation’s social trends, as well as the year’s political, economic and sports news.

The term sanmitsu, awarded the first prize, was popularized by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike who used it frequently to remind the public to practice social distancing.

At the ceremony, linguist and selection committee member Hideho Kindaichi said the sentence embodies a language-specific trick of the Japanese language, while simplifying the complexity of avoiding situations that could otherwise increase the risk of COVID-19 infection.

“Apparently this catchphrase has had a huge impact (on our lives). … It raised public awareness of potential risks and thus helped us to proceed with the implementation of measures to curb further viral transmission, “said Koike, who joined the ceremony via a live video stream from the government. Tokyo metropolitan.

The governor said he hoped this year’s selection of the best password would serve as a reminder to support efforts to prevent further spread of the virus.

This wasn’t Koike’s first win. He also won first prize in 2005 when, as minister of the environment, he spearheaded the “Cool Biz” campaign encouraging people to wear lighter, more casual work clothes in the summer to reduce air conditioning use and reduce emissions.

Other terms that made the top 10 list included the manga series “Kimetsu no Yaiba”, which is titled “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train” in English. The story was made into an animated film that became a box office hit, attracting audiences of over 20 million.

“Atsu-mori”, short for the game Atsumare Dobutsu no Mori (Animal Crossing: New Horizons) created by Nintendo, was also part of the list. It became very popular and went viral on social media during the state of emergency in April and May, as well as during lockdowns around the world.

Competition organizers speculated that if the pandemic hadn’t forced Japan to postpone the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, this year’s buzzwords would likely have been inspired by sporting extravagance.

The winners were chosen based on reader responses to a questionnaire included in an encyclopedia published annually explaining current events.

The annual year-end competition has been held since 1984.