At the end of each year, one kanji is chosen to be “kanji of the year”. The winning kanji represents that year’s current events.
2025’s kanji was “bear” (kuma) 熊.
2025 saw a marked increase in the number of wild bear attacks on Japanese citizens, due to environmental changes leading them to abandon their natural habitats and go to urban areas in search of food.
Calligraphy by Vicky 