"Sanmitsu," or 3Cs, Named 2020 Top Buzzword in Japan

Tokyo, Dec. 1 (Jiji Press)--"Sanmitsu," a watchword referring to the three Cs of closed, crowded and close-contact settings that became a mantra in Japan's fight against the novel coronavirus, was named the 2020 top buzzword in the country Tuesday. The list of top 10 buzzwords also included "Abenomask," a term used mockingly to refer to the cloth masks distributed to all households in the country by the government of then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as part of the fight against the epidemic. "Amabie," a mythical monster believed to have the power to ward off plagues, and the government's Go To Campaign consumption-boosting programs aimed at revitalizing the virus-hit economy also made the top 10. Also on the list was "Kimetsu no Yaiba," the Japanese title of the popular manga series "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba." Total box-office revenue from "Demon Slayer: Mugen Train," a movie from the series, has risen to second place in Japan's all-time cinema revenue rankings. The list included "Atsumori," or "Atsumare Dobutsu no Mori," a global blockbuster game released by Nintendo Co. <7974> that became popular amid the need for self-quarantining. The English title of the game is "Animal Crossing: New Horizons." The South Korean drama series "Ai no Fujichaku," which rekindled the popularity of Korean culture in Japan, also made the top 10. Meanwhile, no word linked to the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, which have been postponed by one year from summer 2020 due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, made the cut. Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, who helped make sanmitsu famous by repeatedly saying, "mitsu," to warn reporters against creating a crowd or any other of the Three C situations, attended the awarding ceremony online. "With the public increasingly aware of 'mitsu,' measures against the coronavirus are being promoted," Koike said, calling for further cooperation to prevent infection. In this year's buzzword list, the 37th of its kind, a jury of seven people, including linguist Hideho Kindaichi, professor at Kyorin University, cartoonist Nameko Shinsan and actress Shigeru Muroi, chose the top 10 buzzwords from among 30 candidates. The annual top 10 list was announced by publisher Jiyu Kokuminsha Co. in partnership with education service provider U-Can Inc. END