¨Zei¨ (税), used in words as tax, was chosen the Kanji of the Year by the Kanji Proficiency Examination Foundation (Zaidan Hojin Nihon Kanji Noryoku Kentei Kyokai), which promotes the election annually since 1995. The announcement was made during ceremony held this Friday at Kiyomizu time (Kyoto).

税 (ぜ い Zei)

The ideogram received 8,679 of the nearly 17,000 votes for best representing one of the main events of the year in Japan. In April, the government promoted the first consumption tax increase (shohizei, 消費 税) in 17 years, from 5% to 8 %, with a second readjustment expected soon.

Because of the effects of the new tax, the Abe government’s economic policy called Abenomics came to be questioned, leading to the dissolution of the Lower House of Parliament and the elections scheduled for this Sunday, the 14th.

In the vote for the Kanji of the Year, the ¨netsu¨ (熱), used to talk about Ebola hemorrhagic fever (エ ボ ラ 出血 熱, or Ebola Shukketsu Netsu), was in second place. ¨Usso¨¨ (嘘), lie, was the third most voted and refers to the various blows recorded throughout the year, mainly with elderly victims.

Kanji of the Year
2014 – 税 (ぜ い Zei) tax. In reference to the increase in consumption tax.

2013 – 轮 (り ん, Rin), circle. Ideogram refers to the Olympic rings. The kanji was elected in the year Japan was chosen to host the 2020 Olympics.

2012 – 金 (き ん, kin), gold. Shinya Yamanaka receives the Nobel Prize for stem cell research and a solar eclipse occurs after 932 years.

2011 – 絆 (き ず な, kizuna), bond of union. In reference to solidarity and unity after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

2010 – 暑 (あ つ い, atsui) – Japan suffers a heat wave that causes inconvenience to the population.

2009 – 新 (あ た ら し い, atarashi), new. Japan’s Democratic Party comes to power after 54 years, overriding the Liberal Democratic Party.

2008 – 変 (か わ る, kawaru), moving. Barack Obama wins the US presidential election using the slogan ¨Yes, we can¨ to refer to the possibilities for change.

2007 – 偽 (に せ, nise), false, mistake. Scandal of the sale of food with adulterated expiration date.

2006 – 命 (い の ち, inochi), life. Birth of Prince Hisahito, son of Akishino.

2005 – 愛 (あ い, ai), love. Expo 2005 is held in Aichi (愛 知), table tennis player Ai Fukuhara (福 原 愛) plays in China.

2004 – 災 (わ ざ わ い, wazawai), disaster. Earthquake in Niigata and passage of a great typhoon through the country.

2003 – 虎 (と ら, log), tiger. For the first time in 18 years, Hanshin Tigers wins the Central Baseball League.

2002 – 帰 (か え る, kaeru), return. Five Japanese kidnapped by North Korea return to Japan.

2001 – 戦 (た た か う, tatakau; い く さ, ikusa), war. Attacks on the Twin Towers in the USA and war in Afghanistan.

2000 – 金 (き ん, kin), gold. Japan wins gold in judo and marathon at the Sydney Olympics. Centenary twins Kin and Gin, whose names sound like gold and silver, die.

1999 – 末 (す え, sue), final. Last year of the millennium.

1998- 毒 (ど く, doku), poison. At least 67 people are sick and four die after eating curry poisoned by a woman.

1997 – 倒 (た お れ る, taoreru), slaughter, knock down. Year with wave of bankruptcies of companies and banks.

1996 – 食 (た べ る, taberu), eating. Countless cases of food poisoning by the bacteria E. coli O157 have been recorded.

1995 – 震 (ふ る え る, furueru), tremor. There is the Hanshin-Awaji earthquake (in Kobe) and attacks with sarin gas on the Tokyo subway.

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