TOKYO: Japan rugby team’s slogan “One Team”, the “#KuToo” campaign against a de-facto requirement to wear heels at work, and the new imperial era name “Reiwa” were chosen on Monday as the most memorable 2019 buzzwords.

“One Team” was declared the top buzzword of the year live on national TV, after the Brave Blossoms captured Japan’s imagination by reaching the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals for the first time.

The word #KuToo, a play on words from the Japanese word “kutsu” — meaning shoes — and “kutsuu” — meaning “pain” — also made the top 10.

The list also included “Reiwa” — meaning beautiful harmony in Japanese — the name of the era that defines the new emperor’s reign.

A craze for tapioca drinks resulted in another buzzword “tapiru”, which combines the two words tapioca and “suru” (do).

Japan chooses the buzzwords as well as the kanji, or Chinese character, of the year annually at the year’s close.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2019