Chappii (a Japanese nickname for ChatGPT), Toranpu kanzei (Trump tariffs) and onkaji (online casinos) were among 30 words and phrases nominated for buzzword of the year on Wednesday.

A comment made by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi immediately after she was elected president of the Liberal Democratic Party last month ¡ª that she would ¡°work, work, work, work and work,¡± which triggered both praise for her determination and criticism amid efforts to improve work-life balance ¡ª also made the list, along with josei shush¨­ (female prime minister).

¡°There weren¡¯t many buzzwords in the first half of the year, but after (U.S.) President Donald Trump returned to office, many phrases went viral regarding tariffs,¡± publisher Jiyukokuminsha, which hosts the award, said in a statement. ¡°Many words trended later on regarding rice, inflation, extreme weather, selecting the prime minister and other events.¡±

While the publisher said some of the buzzwords would continue to be used next year, it said there were phrases that became tremendously popular over a short period of time, such as ¡°Kokuho,¡± the name of a blockbuster movie about the world of kabuki, and kokokomai (old, old, old rice), stockpiled rice harvested three or more years ago that the government released amid a rice shortage.

This year¡¯s record number of fatalities from bear attacks nationwide also led to the emergence of kinky¨± j¨±ry¨­ (a new system in which municipal heads allow the shooting of bears or boars in residential areas during emergencies) and kuma higai (bear-related casualties and damage) in the list of nominees.

News-related phrases that made the list include ky¨­k¨­ senkyo (the conclave to elect the pope), bukkadaka (rising prices for goods) and ¨­rudo media (old media ¡ª a social media reference to legacy media outlets to convey that they are outdated or biased).

The names of eye-catching characters ¡ª Myaku-Myaku for the Osaka Expo, which ended its six-month run in October, along with Labubu, a rabbit-like character with rugged teeth created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung ¡ª also feature among the nominees.

A recent fad sees fans of such characters, especially high school girls, attach plush keychains of them on their bags. The practice also ties in with another buzzword, nuikatsu (an enthusiasm for stuffed animals and characters), which describes activities centered on such characters, such as going on outings with stuffed toys to take photos, or making DIY clothes for them.

The buzzword of the year award is given at the end of each year to sum up what went viral or trended in a given 12-month period. This year¡¯s results will be announced on Dec. 1.