Image via Yomiuri Shinbun

On Dec. 12, the Japanese Kanji Proficiency Society (日本漢字能力検定協会) announced the “Kanji of the Year” for 2013: 輪（りん、わ) [ring] in honor of Tokyo winning the bid for the 2020 Olympics as well as the teamwork by the delegation to win the bid. Mori Seihan, the Abbot of Kiyomizudera in Kyoto, commemorated the event by drawing the kanji.

The top 4 new and popular terms（新語・流行語大賞に４語) of 2013 were 今でしょ (“Why not now?”), お・も・て・な・し (“hos·pi·tal·i·ty”), じぇじぇじぇ (Iwata-ben expression of surprise), and 倍返し (“Pay them back double!”)

You can read about the kanji as well as the words of the year here:

“2013 Kanji of the Year: ‘Rin’ Takes the Ring,” Nippon.com

「今年の漢字は『輪』　日本が輪になって沸いた年」, Asahi Shimbun (with video and a list of all the words since 1995)

“2013: The Winning Words,” Nippon.com

「新語・流行語大賞　発表」