Every year around this time, the top 10 winners of the buzzwords and new words of the year contest are announced. When the result is announced, we feel that this year is going to end soon. We look back at the year while thinking about why these words were selected.
A few days ago, the result of the 2011 contest was announced. Although many words related to the 3/11 earthquake and the Fukushima accident were nominated about a month ago (60 words were nominated), なでしこジャパン/Nadeshiko-Japan, the name of the Japanese women's national soccer team, won first place.
In July, at the Women's Soccer World Cup in Germany, Japan had some amazing victories and won the cup. The unexpected success lifted our nation rocked by the 3/11 earthquake, tsunami and the subsequent nuclear disaster. Since it was widely known that unlike men's soccer players, it was very difficult even for talented women to make their livings as soccer players, the considerable achievement captivated a lot of people, encouraged them to struggle to overcome the difficulties and made them feel that they could do anything. People admired the players, saying that they were real なでしこ/Nadeshiko (As for the meaning of the word, please see Note 1 below). People seemed to remember how much Japanese women had inner strength. Even some conservative men who hardly appreciated women said that women could make a breakthrough. Put simply, the players gave hope for us.
When the grand prize of the contest was announced, these explanations were mentioned as the reasons why なでしこジャパン/Nadeshiko-Japan was selected as the grand prize.
http://photo.sankei.jp.msn.com/kodawari/data/2011/07/0718wcupfinal7/
*Note 1
Nadeshiko means dianthus (a type of flower), but people often think of 大和なでしこ/Yamato-nadeshiko from なでしこ. Yamato-nadeshiko is used to describe Japanese women who have traditional Japanese beauty, kindness and inner strength. Although people portray different images of these women, it's usually used in a positive way or as a complimentary word.
http://singo.jiyu.co.jp/index.html
