30 Japanese Buzzwords of the 2020s: Oshi, Taipa, Kaeruka and More (With Real Examples)

💡 From the verb osu (to push, to recommend). It means more than "favorite": it is someone you actively support with time and money. It can be a person, a character, or even a train line or a snack.

💡 Buying merch, going to concerts, and visiting places linked to your favorite all count. Companies now use the word in ads, so it is much less "otaku only" than it used to be.

💡 A fan motto: groups break up and actors retire, so don't hold back. People also use it half-jokingly to justify spending money.

💡 Hako (box) means the group or the agency. It is the opposite of having one single favorite member.

💡 Dotan means a fan of the same member. Some fans put this in their social media profile to avoid jealousy or competition. It shows how intense Japanese fan culture can be, and many fans are the opposite (dotan kangei, "same-member fans welcome").

💡 Borrowed from the Korean word for "fan." Mostly used by K-pop fans in Japan. Idol and anime fans usually say fan or ota instead.

💡 Numa is a swamp: once you step in, you keep sinking. People say it happily, not as a complaint. You can say "camera no numa" (the camera rabbit hole) about any expensive hobby.

💡 The original word means noble or sacred and still appears in serious writing. Fans use it as an overwhelmed sigh when something is too cute or wholesome. Tone of voice tells you which meaning is meant.

💡 Literally "my interpretation matches." Used when a character, an actor, or a new photo fits your mental image perfectly. The opposite is kaishaku chigai ("that's not my version of them").

💡 Genkai means limit. People use it about themselves in a self-mocking way, often when they can only type broken sentences after a big announcement. Calling someone else this can sound rude.

💡 "Frog-ification," named after the frog prince story in reverse. It once meant losing interest when your feelings are returned; young people now use it for losing interest over a small cringey act. It made the Top 10 of Japan's New Words and Buzzwords Awards in 2023.

💡 Made from kosupa (cost performance). It is often used to talk about younger people watching shows at high speed or reading summaries. Publisher Sanseido's editors named it their Word of the Year for 2022. It is fine in most conversations, even at work.

💡 Short for kosuto pafomansu. It is older than most words here and used by every generation, including in ads and reviews. "Kosupa ga ii" means good value, not "cheap."

💡 The old meaning is a neighborhood or vicinity. Online it became a label for any group with a shared habit or taste, often playful. Adding it to almost any noun creates a new "community."

💡 Short for katsudo (activity). Shukatsu (job hunting) came first, and then konkatsu (looking for a spouse), asakatsu (morning self-improvement) and many more followed. Some are standard words now; new ones are made up all the time.

💡 The normal meaning is "to be arranged or ready." Sauna fans use it for the calm, light-headed feeling after the hot-cold-rest cycle. It is often written in hiragana to show the special meaning. Don't push yourself to reach it; people with health concerns should be careful with sudden temperature changes.

💡 Muri (impossible) + game. Originally gamer slang, now used for any unrealistic task or plan. It is a light complaint, so don't say it to your boss about their request.

💡 Anken is a business word for a case or a project. Young people use it jokingly: "shuku anken" (something to celebrate), "tsuho anken" (so bad someone should report it). On social media, "anken" alone can also mean a paid promotion by an influencer.

💡 Min means citizens or people. On social media you can call any group this way: "neko min" (cat people), "shiken mae min" (people studying for an exam). It feels friendly and inclusive.

💡 A gentle, half-joking phrase of self-care. People say it to themselves or to tired friends to lower the bar: you don't have to be amazing, surviving the day is enough.

💡 Very common in ads for sweets, cosmetics and travel. Japan is a culture where people rarely praise themselves out loud, so "rewarding yourself" is a socially acceptable way to do it.

💡 A classic closing line for letters and business emails, especially in hot or cold seasons. It has also become popular on social media as a warm reply to someone who is overworking. Many people avoid adding "karada o" (your body) before it, since jiai already includes that idea.

💡 A softer, sillier kawaii, used mostly by young women and in comments on animal videos. Saying it with a straight face as an adult man sounds deliberately funny. Only for close friends.

💡 From gachagacha capsule toy machines and random-draw games. People add it to things they can't control: haizoku gacha (which team you are assigned to), seki gacha (your seat). Some versions are about sensitive topics like family background, so use it for light situations only.

💡 The normal meaning is winning a tournament. As slang, you say it about a small pleasure that feels perfect, usually food or drink. You'll see it a lot in food posts.

💡 From English "chill," turned into a Japanese adjective with -i. Used for places, music and slow evenings. Common with young people; older people may just say ochitsuku (calming).

💡 Hanshin Tigers manager Akinobu Okada avoided saying "championship" so as not to jinx it, calling it "are" (that). The Tigers won in 2023, and the word won the grand prize at Japan's New Words and Buzzwords Awards that year. Hanshin fans in the Kansai area still use it with a grin.

💡 Short for the drama title Futekisetsu ni mo Hodo ga Aru!, roughly "Inappropriate Beyond Limits!" A man from the 1980s time-travels to the present and clashes with modern manners. It won the grand prize at Japan's New Words and Buzzwords Awards in 2024. It is a title, so it may fade from daily talk.

💡 A pun on his family name and kamisama (god), from his record-breaking 2022 season with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. It won the grand prize at Japan's New Words and Buzzwords Awards in 2022. A good example of how sports heroes create buzzwords in Japan.

💡 Nitoryu is a samurai style of fighting with two swords. Together with "shotaimu" (Showtime), it won the grand prize at Japan's New Words and Buzzwords Awards in 2021. Nitoryu is also used for anyone who does two jobs or two skills at once.