Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on December 2013

The words of the year for 2013, as selected by publisher Jyukokuminsha, capture the mood of a nation leaving ambivalence behind and embracing a can-do attitude.

“Ima desho (Now, right?),” coined by charismatic juku teacher Osamu Hayashi, went viral with its easy application to almost anything. Part of, “Itsu yaru ka Ima desho!” (“When will you do it? It’s now, right?”)

“Omotenashi,” used by Christel Takigawa at the award ceremony after Tokyo won the 2020 Olympic bid, introduced the spirit of Japanese hospitality: The art of anticipating a guest’s needs before they have to ask for it. Her clear articulation of the word—“O-mo-te-na-shi”—has been parodied nonstop since.

“Jejeje,” an expression of surprise (usually je, or je je), solidified its place in everyday vocabulary via the NHK drama Ama-chan, a story about female divers in Tohoku.

“Bai gaeshi (returning the favor two-fold),” from the popular TBS drama Naoki Hanzawa in which the titular bubble era banker fights against the big boys and wins, struck a particular chord with a disabused citizenry.

Abenomics, the derivative Abe cabinet slogan, entered the public lexicon. Whether its “three pillars” of easement, public spending and yen devaluation can expand the economy remains to be seen. We may see one of the runners-up, Aho-nomics, in next year’s Top contenders…