On December 12th, the “Kanji of the Year” for 2025 was announced.
The chosen character for 2025 was ‘熊’ (bear).
Indeed, especially in the latter half of the year, there wasn’t a day when we didn’t hear news about bears.
“Did I have any memories related to bears?” I reflected on my year and recalled visiting the “Okuhida Bear Park” at the end of summer.
Okuhida Bear Park is a bear zoo located in Shin-Hirayu Onsen, Gifu Prefecture.
The park is home to many Japanese black bears, and visitors can feed them.
Bears raising their paws as if to say “Give it to me,”
Bears simply opening their mouths, waiting for food to be tossed in,
Bears waiting right under the fence for scraps,
Bears uninterested in food, scratching their legs… each bear had its own distinct personality.
This image, in stark contrast to the gentle scene above, shows a wild side where sharp claws are clearly visible.
For 2026, I hope that unfortunate incidents and accidents involving both bears and humans decrease, even if only slightly.
“Kanji of the Year” is a registered trademark (Japanese Trademark Registration No. 5247080) as of July 10, 2009, with designated services including Class 41 “Teaching of arts, sports, or knowledge” (Rights holder: Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, a public interest incorporated foundation).
(Sakuramochi)