Turkey's Yusuf Dikeç, who competed in the 10 meter air pistol mixed team event at the Paris Olympics. (©Anadolu Agency/Getty Images via Kyodo)
このページを 日本語 で読む
Japan's Top 100 Online Buzzwords for 2024 were revealed on November 21, with the top word set to be announced on December 18. The ranking is based on visits to online encyclopedia services operated by Dwango and Pixiv.
Dwango, a subsidiary of KADOKAWA, manages the video-sharing site Niconico Douga. Pixiv is an online platform for sharing illustrations and novels.
Selection Process
The ranking is compiled by aggregating access data from January 1 to November 18 for terms listed in Dwango's "Nico Nico Pedia" and Pixiv's "Pixiv Encyclopedia."
The 100 buzzwords with the greatest year-over-year increase in visits were selected. The top spot will go to the phrase with the largest jump in popularity.
Voting for the "Niconico Award," chosen by Niconico Douga users, was open until November 27. KADOKAWA also introduced a "Two-Month Recovery Award" to address a gap in data collection in June and July caused by a cyberattack. This award was also determined by user votes. It went to "Shinji Ishimaru," who gained attention for finishing second in the Tokyo gubernatorial election in July.
The buzzwords mainly reflect trends in anime, manga, and gaming. For example, the 21st installment of the Pretty Cure series, Wonderful Pretty Cure!, and the film Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom, which attracted 3 million viewers, are on the list.
Non-Pop Culture Phrases
However, the list also includes buzzwords unrelated to pop culture. Notably, "Uncle Free-to-Play" is a Japanese nickname for Turkish athlete Yusuf Dikeç. He went viral overnight after winning a silver medal in the 10-meter mixed air pistol event at the Paris Olympics using minimal equipment. "Free-to-play"(F2P) is a reference to non-paying video game players.
Another entry, "Impression Zombies," refers to individuals on X (formerly Twitter) who engage in disruptive behavior. These users repost content or leave meaningless replies to earn advertising revenue through higher impression counts.
From a School Textbook
Other viral phrases include "If only they'd stepped on it ...," from the junior high school textbook Learning and Thinking About History by Hamajima Shoten.
The phrase is spoken by a robot illustration explaining the fumi-e. This was a test during the Edo period where suspected Christians had to step on an image of Jesus or Mary to prove they were not part of the outlawed religion. The flippant remark, given the serious nature of the subject, seems to have made the phrase go viral.
RELATED:
- Japan's Trending Words in Our 2023 Stories: 'A.R.E'
- Japan's Trending Words in Our 2023 Stories: 'Generative AI'
Author: Katsutoshi Takagi, The Sankei Shimbun
このページを 日本語 で読む
