It¡¯s time to wrap up what the Japanese media is referring to as ¥³¥í¥Êһɫ¤ÎÄê (korona isshoku no toshi, the year that was singularly colored by the novel coronavirus).

We¡¯ve seen a lot of COVID-19-related jargon spring up and take root this year, among them: ¥³¥í¥Êµœ (korona-ka, coronavirus disaster), ¥³¥í¥ÊÆ£¤ì (korona-zukare, coronavirus fatigue), ¥³¥í¥ÊÐݘI (korona ky¨±gy¨­, suspension of services due to the coronavirus) and, of course, the ×Ô»ÒªÕˆ (jishuku y¨­sei, request to practice self-restraint).

Reflecting the changes taking place in everyday Japanese parlance is another notable change: the way people interact with each other over some ¾Æ (sake, alcohol).