As 2023 comes to an end, JAPAN Forward has picked up five top trending words to relive some of the year's main stories with our readers.
Previously we looked at No 5, After Four Years/ Cheering Out Loud （４年ぶり／声出し応援）. Next, we recalled the trending word No 4, Shogi Watching （観る将）, and the rising popularity of the board game.
Today, we look at Trending word No 3, a worrying trend of our times: "Global Boiling" （地球沸騰化）.
Third of 5 in a series
No 3: Global Boiling（地球沸騰化）
This expression comes from a speech by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. It came in a talk about forecasts that July 2023 was expected to break global heat records. Guterres stated, "The era of global warming has ended; the era of global boiling has arrived."
Japan did not escape this trend. The summer of 2023 was one of the hottest on record.
Covering the Trend
Even for people living in Hokkaido, which is famous for its mild summers. There was no escaping the sweltering heat in our everyday lives.
JAPAN Forward's website Japan 2 Earth is dedicated to covering the environment and SDGs. And it covered the topic thoroughly. One article also focused on the importance of supercomputers in analyzing the links between global warming and extreme heat.
Actors moved on the international stage, too, to meet the global challenges. In April, the G7 Environment Ministers focused their discussions on the many paths toward decarbonization.
Undoubtedly, the environment is a topic of conversation that will gain further prominence in 2024. But another expression has also been on everyone's lips, everywhere, from the realm of technology. That's next.
Check back for Trending Word No 2 on our list.
Continues in: Japan's Trending Words in Our 2023 Stories: 'Generative AI' （生成AI）
Follow the series:
Japan's Trending Words in Our 2023 Stories: 'After Four Years/ Cheering Out Loud' （４年ぶり／声出し応援）
Japan's Trending Words in Our 2023 Stories: 'Shogi Watching' （観る将）
Author: JAPAN Forward
