Dec 12, 2025 18:22:00

Headline news for December 12, 2025

2025 'Kanji of the Year®' #1 'Bear' / Sponsored and photo provided by: Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation / Calligrapher: Mori Seihan, head priest of Kiyomizu-dera Temple

The ' Kanji of the Year ' announced annually by the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation has revealed that the kanji representing the state of the world in 2025 is ' bear ' (bear), as announced in calligraphy by Mori Seihan, the abbot of Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto.

'Kanji of the Year®' | Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation

https://www.kanken.or.jp/kotoshinokanji/

A total of 189,122 votes were submitted nationwide between November 1st and December 9th. Of these, 'bear' (kuma) received 23,346 votes, placing it in first place. According to the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, applicants chose 'bear' because of the increasing damage caused by bears nationwide and the measures being taken to combat it, concerns about their livelihoods due to bear sightings, and the fact that four giant pandas (pandas) were returned to China from Wakayama Prefecture.

Coming in second was 'rice' (23,166 votes), just 180 points behind the first place winner. In third place was 'gao' (18,300 votes), in fourth place was 'maku' (6,418 votes), and in fifth place was 'wan' (5,656 votes). The rankings for the top 20 are as follows:

The large calligraphy of the 'Kanji of the Year' by the head priest Mori will be exhibited at the Kanji Museum and Library in Gion, Kyoto from Tuesday, December 23, 2025.

Incidentally, the following article was published on the same day in the same month in the past.

The software encryption key for 'PlayStation Classic,' which can be hacked and games can be freely added, was stored on the device itself - GIGAZINE

A movie that explains in one shot why you should not flush the toilet with the lid open - GIGAZINE

Surprising research results show that 'Super Mario 64' helps protect the brain from Alzheimer's disease - GIGAZINE

What happened as a result of giving 54,000 yen to citizens every month? A record - GIGAZINE

[Obituary] Emperor of anime songs, Ichiro Mizuki, passes away - GIGAZINE

A painting that reversed a photographer's image won an award at an exhibition, and won a lawsuit for plagiarism - GIGAZINE

I tried playing the board game 'Novaruna', which aims to win by strategically determining tile placement and turn order - GIGAZINE

If you play the 'Kumamon Death Game' on a trip to Kumamoto, this is what happens - GIGAZINE

The most retweeted tweet on Twitter in Japan in 2012 was the marriage announcement of voice actor Koichi Yamadera - GIGAZINE

◆ Material (notes and other miscellaneous items)

Mystery 'Fake'

Saniwa: 'Ahhh, Aoe, help me!'

SE Aoe: 'Oh dear, it's set to UTF-8... It's a matter of character encoding. See? (Shift-JIS conversion)'

Mystery: 'Thank you for your help.'

Saniwa: 'Uh, hello...'
— Tokiwa Hiiragi (@ErrorNo_180) December 11, 2025

The other day my wife told me, 'Don't cheat on me,' and I replied, 'I won't cheat on you because I love you,' to which she replied, 'No. You shouldn't cheat even if you don't love him,' which was quite like a driving test.
— Dokusai Switch Project (@dsatwalle) December 10, 2025

The night train from Ueno takes in the winter scenery of the Tsugaru Strait, and the last train from Umeda takes in the scenery of Hibarigaoka Hanayashiki

The brown carriage is running through the Tsugaru Strait in winter. The brown carriage is running through Hibarigaoka Hanayashiki.

A silent crowd of people returning north is seen at the Tsugaru Strait in winter. A silent crowd of people returning from the north is seen at Hibarigaoka Hanayashiki.https ://t.co/7Pz4qqiwHB
— Self-proclaimed Kiyossuama (@hiro60_nb6) December 10, 2025

From the moment I got off the local train from Umeda, I was at Kawanishi-Noseguchi. The crowd of people heading home from Kita in the snow was silent, and all I could hear was the rumbling of the mountains.

I was on the Takarazuka line alone, drinking in Juso, and ended up throwing up after succumbing to the drunkenness.

Ah Hibarigaoka Hanayashiki https://t.co/Es4JyJ1EN0
— Kazuya Kanehisa (@kane_hisa) December 11, 2025

It's a standard character with a full range of moves. pic.twitter.com/a8HVOxycBb
— Sukoyaka Muimui (@sukoyakamuimui) December 10, 2025

◆Science (science, learning, technology)
Clear pond turns discolored: Graduate student discovers cause of tourist attraction's strange behavior | Mainichi Shimbun

Cosmic rays emitted by past supernovae were the key to the birth of the Earth - The 'cosmic ray bath' mechanism reveals the origin of radioactive elements in the solar system - | Kyoto University

Fish recognize themselves earlier than expected! New behaviors discovered after recognition | Osaka Municipal University

Ethanol detection using gold nanoparticles and semiconductors | Ehime University research results stock site

Development of a new RNA editing technology, 'RECODE' | Research Results | Kyushu University

Joint presentation: Shedding light on the first moments of brain metastasis - Microglia, the brain's guardians, eat the 'seeds' of cancer -

Shedding light on the first moments of brain metastasis: Brain guardians, microglia, eat the seeds of cancer - Nagoya University Research Results

Multiple autonomous and automated AI systems collaborate spontaneously to advance materials research | NIMS

Newly identified protein that causes chronic inflammation | News & Events | Juntendo University

◆ Society, politics, and economy (incidents, world news, and business)
Special Position Salary Law Revision Bill: Prime Minister's Office Issues Revise Guidelines, Official 'Distributed by Mistake' | Mainichi Shimbun

197 children born to sperm donor with rare mutation in Europe, some already dead - CNN.co.jp

'18 million yen in sales have fallen to zero...' The current state of a lodging specializing in Chinese inbound tourists | Mainichi Shimbun

Bank of Japan likely to raise interest rates to 0.75%, highest level in 30 years, as wage increases are expected: Asahi Shimbun

Ancient Egypt exhibition canceled mid-schedule due to earthquake damage at Hachinohe City Museum of Art [Aomori Prefecture]: Asahi Shimbun

First train on the Akita Nairiku Line derails and overturns. No passengers are on board, but the driver is injured. A cedar tree is found on the tracks near the scene in Kitaakita City (published December 12, 2025) | NTV NEWS NNN

I was wondering whether the withdrawal fees charged to creators by the platform were covered, so I checked with our legal counsel and was told that they were not.
Here's why: … https://t.co/mCovZAsNJ7
— Narugami (@nalgami) December 11, 2025

◆ Lifestyle (life, living, health)
'The first murderer I saw was a 19-year-old anime otaku.' Attending a trial can reveal what lies ahead when various factors such as addiction, lack of empathy, and low self-control come together - Togetter

He said he had found a sword and wanted some advice, so I went to his home, contacted the police, and we went to the police station together.
I had heard rumors, but they really did assume that it would be discarded.
The first thing he said was, 'Are you sure you want to dispose of it?'

Until now, it seemed that a considerable number of cultural assets had been destroyed according to police manuals.
— Swordsmith Sukemitsu (@osafune_sukemtu) December 11, 2025

[Do you know about the new 'Tabe' prefecture?]
The difficult-to-read kanji character 'lagoon' has caused trouble for people from outside the prefecture in both prefectural and kanji tests.
It is an everyday character for the people of Niigata Prefecture, but I'm sure there are many who sigh and say, 'Oh...that's a lot of strokes...' every time they write it.
The character '泻', an abbreviation of the character for lagoon, has been secretly supporting the people of Niigata Prefecture. … https://t.co/fMkTbSnAv0
— Niigata City Minami Ward Tourist Information (@niigata_s_kanko) December 11, 2025

Applying steroids to the testicles will cause the skin to discolor and harden. Be careful. … https://t.co/15M9K5wtzR pic.twitter.com/0ydDcGH2i0
— Pinpoint (@pinpoint_m) December 11, 2025

BASE once again responded that 'sales that have expired cannot be refunded.'

The reason is,
'It may be considered a 'deposit' as defined in Article 2 of the Investment Law, and this is for legal compliance purposes.'
That's what they say... https://t.co/6brwULazJ7
— CAVALISA/Art Doll Artist (@to_aves) December 11, 2025

[Overwhelming apology]
Dear all Ramen Akaneko fans,

I am very sorry.
Although I think Ramen Akaneko is a great piece of content,
I think I underestimated its appeal.

12 days after release.

I've surpassed my annual budget in just 12 days. … https://t.co/qQHwsAWYnw
— Kawakyo Co., Ltd. [Official] (@kawakyo0603) December 12, 2025

I'll tell you my story.

A story from when I was little.

54 years ago, my disability didn't have a name and was called something like 'spina bifida.'

Disability certificate

・Inability to stand or walk ・Left clubfoot, right clubfoot ・Paresis of both legs

It says, 'The cause is unknown.'
My mother was probably in her late 20s... pic.twitter.com/f3WyWZQsry
— Long-tailed tit (@takatakata66666) December 11, 2025

[Announcement and correction regarding Threader Design (long text)]

Thank you for all the responses to the recent post by 'Threader Uncle.'
In order to communicate the details as accurately as possible, we have confirmed this with the distributor, KAWAGUCHI Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as the company), and would like to report the details to you. … https://t.co/VXzpDqrVtJ pic.twitter.com/uyjbDYgSzN
— Nippon Chuko Trading Co., Ltd. (@nippon_chuko) December 12, 2025

◆IT/Gadgets (Internet, software, hardware, mobile)
[Niconico 19th Anniversary] Thank you for always using Niconico. - Niconico Video

I'm not sure about the entertainment aspect, but I think it's the other way around.

If I were to do it myself, I would add a 'This is a test. We apologize for the inconvenience' to the message in case I made a mistake and the email was sent. I also do this when implementing or testing an email form.

Natural writing can take up the time of your audience. https://t.co/Mikb5BspWD
— Yuten🖖 (@cloud10designs) December 11, 2025

I wish we could get rid of the culture of sending a message when you press the Enter key, as is the case with Discord and Teams.
I often accidentally press Alt instead of Shift and Enter to start a new line, which causes sending to end halfway through, so I ended up writing the text in Notepad and then copying and pasting it to send it lol
— kt. (@xxxx_kt_xxxx) December 9, 2025

【notice】
Regarding the issue where, from Thursday, December 4th to Wednesday, December 10th, due to a system error in the monetization program 'Creator Rewards Program,' some creators were not properly paid for their videos.

For more details, please see the attached image. pic.twitter.com/fwiO14sssi
— TikTok Japan [Official] TikTok (@tiktok_japan) December 11, 2025

【🎉Released today🎉】
HiBy Digital 『M500 Hatsune Miku Edition』

Hatsune Miku themed limited edition color finish! Special collector's package with merchandise and accessories!

Reservations will start on Monday, December 15th at 7pm!

▼For more details, click here! https://t.co/nHwoZp8RSP pic.twitter.com/6yzKOaW7aC
— Earphone and headphone specialty store 'e☆Earphone' (@e_earphone) December 12, 2025

Even I, a 14-year Twitter user, fell for the latest phishing scam | Cobra

How to create a local LLM environment using a Mini PC and external GPU

Sui, an LLM-friendly language, doesn't seem to be LLM-friendly - Hatena Kishida

◆Anime, games, manga (subculture)
[Verification] If you practice your handwriting in a practice book, will it become beautiful even if you have terrible handwriting? - YouTube

Don't turn down the VR, you idiot!!! - Niconico Video

◇Notice◇
Paperback version of 'Fairy Bullet'
Notice of cancellation of Volume 2 release

Regarding 'Fairy Bullet' published by GCN Bunko,
The paperback edition of this work has now been discontinued.
The series will be published by GC Novels starting with Volume 1. … pic.twitter.com/1bS9opbU2M
— GC Novels Official @GCN Bunko (@gcnovels) December 11, 2025

In 1971, Tove Jansson, the creator of Moomin, made a long-awaited trip to Japan with her partner, and gave a speech in Japanese in front of a large audience in Tokyo. She released audio recordings of her repeated pronunciation practice, as well as footage her partner shot on 8mm film.
➡ https://t.co/ygfXeKkEXI
About the journey and disappointment with the anime
➡ https://t.co/GrITlycq6P
📷ToveJanssonofficial pic.twitter.com/Mt0e85mIXd
— Embassy of Finland in Japan (@FinEmbTokyo) December 11, 2025

[Friday's Nobody Girl]
Nobody x Frills x Frills x Ponytail #NobodyGirlpic.twitter.com /9tneJ05Ssa
— NII Manabu (@aleos696) December 11, 2025

As mentioned in Air Rider Direct 2, Kirby Air Rider does not have a production system for DLC or the like.
The team will soon be disbanded.

Therefore, while we can take action in the short term, we are aiming for a balance that will allow players to play the game without any issues even years from now. … https://t.co/L2JzJHzFb2
— Masahiro Sakurai (@Sora_Sakurai) December 12, 2025

Check the answer https://t.co/iBRuWfiTF9 pic.twitter.com/uIZAMgJy3w
— Nakineiriko (@nakineiriko) December 11, 2025

'The final chapter of 'Trillion Game' is published in today's issue of Superil.
I feel relieved now that I have been able to complete the series.

At the beginning of the serialization, Inagaki-sensei's original work was fresh and full of charm,
Can my brush keep up?
I was worried about the sensitivity part. And as the series neared its end, ' pic.twitter.com/11Qidc2UTQ
— Trillion Games @Ryoichi Ikegami [Official] Latest Volume 11 to be released on January 30th!! (@Ikegami_Ryoichi) December 12, 2025

On sale today! 'Denjarasu Jisan' is featured in the January issue of CoroCoro Comic.
It's a pretty challenging story, so please read it (the illustration and manga content are unrelated) pic.twitter.com/azv71u2eBp
— Kazutoshi Soyama (@soyamanga) December 12, 2025

It's not really a 28th anniversary project, but I found some rough drafts, so I'll leave them here. I don't remember if they were from back then. pic.twitter.com/mF1eG2uOB3
— Arai Yoshihiko (@romerou_twt) December 11, 2025

Apparently the live concert was announced the day before along with an announcement that the group scheduled to perform would be starting a TV show on Nippon Television. This live concert is linked to the show, and the show will also broadcast a close-up documentary of the success of the live concert. It's unbelievable that the two Nippon Television hosts are competing with each other and can't even get a day set up. https://t.co/Phcw60jI3t
— Hibiscus (@NksIatg91860932) December 11, 2025

A new music program planned by Hoshino Gen has been confirmed for broadcast!

NHK General TV 'Friends of Hoshino Gen and Matsushige Yutaka'

Hoshino Gen and Matsushige Yutaka, two music-loving 'friends of music,' travel together listening to and talking about music.

📺First session: 1/7 (Wed) 23:00~
More details here ✈ https://t.co/8i5PrustP6 #Friends of Hoshino Gen and Matsushige Yutakapic.twitter.com/hay0Qxq2f2
— Gen Hoshino (@gen_senden) December 12, 2025

Movie 'Supergirl' teaser trailer - YouTube

Movie 'Bugonia' official trailer | Nationwide release on Friday, February 13, 2026 - YouTube

◆New products (clothing, food, shelter)
~Enjoy trendy gourmet food at Osaka Osho~ | Eat & Holdings Co., Ltd.

Osomatsu-san x Kotetchan collaboration site