2015 in review

In ten days, this year will be over.  Time flies!
Google have compiled the biggest news stories for each of the past twelve months by country, according to the most popular internet searches in each country.

All links below are to related posts that I’ve written. By all means, click the links and read (and comment on) my posts!

The Biggest News Stories of 2015 in Japan:

1. (December 2015) – Star Wars
2. (November 2015) – Paris attack
3. (October 2015) – Rugby World Cup / Water on Mars
4. (September 2015) – Volkswagen emissions scandal
5. (August 2015) – (nothing was listed by Google)
6. (July 2015) – Women’s Soccer World Cup
7. (June 2015) – Japan’s Constitution change
8. (May 2015) – Respiratory Syndrome that started in South Korea and killed 36
9. (April 2015) – Nepal earthquake
10. (March 2015) – (nothing was listed by Google)
11. (February 2015) – “The dress”
12. (January 2015) – (nothing was listed by Google)

“The dress”

The Biggest News Stories of 2015 in America:

1. (December 2015) – Star Wars
2. (November 2015) – Paris attack / The Royals won the baseball World Series
3. (October 2015) – Water on Mars
4. (September 2015) – The Pope visited the U.S. / Volkswagen emissions scandal
5. (August 2015) – (nothing was listed by Google)
6. (July 2015) – Women’s Soccer World Cup / Cecil the lion / Iran nuclear deal
7. (June 2015) – Caitlyn Jenner
8. (May 2015) – Mayweather vs Pacquiao boxing match
9. (April 2015) – Nepal earthquake / Same-gender weddings legalized
10. (March 2015) – (nothing was listed by Google)
11. (February 2015) – “The dress” / The Oscars awards show
12. (January 2015) – (nothing was listed by Google)

Happy New Year 2015

It’s now midnight on New Years Day 2015.
Happy New Year!

In Japan, New Years is the biggest holiday. There are many traditions, customs, decoration and a special meal with family.
2014 was the “Year of the Horse”…but it’s now the beginning of 2015 “the Year of the Sheep“.

2014 “Year of the Horse” passing the baton to 2015 “Year of the Sheep”

明けましておめでとうございます！ (“Happy New Year!“)
How did you celebrate the New Year?

(The above image is from プロ年賀状 (“Pro New Years Postcards”) website.)

2014 Kanji of the Year

Every December, a kanji (Japanese (Chinese) written character) is chosen that represents the biggest news of the year that is just ending. It’s called 「今年の漢字」 (“The Kanji of the Year“).

Last Friday, the kanji of the year for 2014 was chosen. It’s 「税」 (zei) which means “tax“.

Every year, when the 「今年の漢字」 (“Kanji of the Year”) is chosen, it’s presented to the public at a special ceremony at a temple in Kyoto where the head monk writes the character and it’s broadcast on TV, newspapers and the internet.

The Kanji of the Year (今年の漢字) for 2014 is 「税」 (“tax”).

The reason that this character was chosen to represent 2014 is because the sales tax in Japan was increased this year for the first time in years.

When I came to Japan in 1990, the sales tax here was 3%. (Until just a couple of years before I came to Japan there was no sales tax here at all!)
It stayed at 3% until 1997 when it was raised to 5% (that year, a law was also passed that the “after-tax” price must be shown on all products).
Japan’s sales tax was 5% for seventeen years. It was increased to it’s current 8% last spring (thus the Kanji of the Year is “tax”).
The Japanese government plans to increase the sales tax again next year (in 2015) to 10%!