'Bear' (熊) Selected as Japan's Kanji of the Year for 2025 Amid Record Bear Encounters

'Bear' Kanji Reflects National Mood

The kanji character for 'bear,' 熊 (pronounced 'kuma'), was officially announced as Japan's Kanji of the Year for 2025 on Friday, December 12. The selection, made through a nationwide public vote, was revealed during a traditional ceremony at the historic Kiyomizudera temple in Kyoto. Chief Buddhist priest Seihan Mori inscribed the character with a giant calligraphy brush on a large sheet of washi paper, symbolizing the year's prevailing social mood.

The choice of 'bear' predominantly reflects the significant increase in bear sightings and attacks across Japan throughout 2025, which has caused considerable public anxiety and concern.

Record-High Bear Incidents Across Japan

The year 2025 saw an unprecedented number of human-bear encounters, leading to record-high injuries and fatalities. As of December 4, 2025, at least 13 people were killed and 235 injured in bear attacks across 21 prefectures, according to public broadcaster NHK data. Other reports indicate 13 fatalities and over 220 injuries since April 2025. These incidents were not confined to remote wilderness areas, with bears increasingly spotted in urban and residential zones, including supermarket aisles, school grounds, and even train station restrooms. The surge in encounters led to public anxiety, event cancellations, school closures, and extensive damage to crops in rural communities.

Contributing Factors to Increased Encounters

Experts and officials attribute the rise in bear activity to a combination of environmental and demographic factors. One significant reason cited is the poor harvest of natural food sources like acorns and beechnuts, which has forced hungry bears to venture into human habitats in search of sustenance. Furthermore, the bear population in Japan is estimated to have more than tripled since 2012, while rural depopulation has led to abandoned farmlands and overgrown areas, blurring the traditional boundaries between human settlements and bear habitats. The government has responded with measures such as deploying the military to set traps, distributing rifles to police in affected prefectures, and issuing multilingual warning signs in cities like Kyoto.

The Selection Process and Other Contenders

The Kanji of the Year is an annual tradition organized by the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, where the public votes for a single character that best encapsulates the events and mood of the past twelve months. This year, 'kuma' (熊) received 23,346 votes, accounting for 12.3% of the total 189,122 votes cast.

The character for 'rice' (米, pronounced 'kome') came in a close second with 23,166 votes, reflecting concerns over soaring rice prices and its association with the United States. In third place was 'high' (高, pronounced 'taka'), chosen due to rising stock and commodity prices, and also referencing Sanae Takaichi, Japan's first female Prime Minister, who took office this year.