12 December 2018
Written by MY Consulting Support

In Japan, at the end of each year, a kanji character is chosen which represents the events of the year !

The Kanji of the year 2017 was , which means “north”.

2016  ➡  金 “gold”                 2015  ➡  “safety”           2014  ➡  “tax”

2013  ➡  “ring”, “circle”      2012  ➡  “gold”             2011 ➡  “bonds”

2010  ➡  “hot”                   2009  ➡  “new”             2008  ➡   “change”   …

It is chosen by postcard voting and solicitation through website, and is announced that this year’s kanji is which literally means “disaster”.

As well as large scale earthquakes, Japan was frequently hit by disasters such as typhoon and heat wave which affect communities, causing considerable damage to their livelihoods. The year 2018 made Japanese keenly aware of the importance of the spirits to help each other even in the midst of disaster. It has taught us that mutual cooperation and support is essential when working to recover from difficult situations.

This kanji, “災” reminds us of the old saying “out of evil comes good” , while at the same time it encourages us that the coming year will be a year of progress 😊