Kanji used in "3Cs" slogan picked to symbolize 2020 amid pandemic

Kanji used in "3Cs" slogan picked to symbolize 2020 amid pandemic

Seihan Mori, chief Buddhist priest of Kiyomizu temple in Kyoto, writes the kanji character "mitsu" meaning "close" or "dense" with a calligraphy brush in the Japanese city on Dec. 14, 2020. The character was selected as the best kanji to symbolize the national mood for the year, referencing calls to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. (Pool photo)

Kanji used in "3Cs" slogan picked to symbolize 2020 amid pandemic

Kanji used in "3Cs" slogan picked to symbolize 2020 amid pandemic

Seihan Mori, chief Buddhist priest of Kiyomizu temple in Kyoto, writes the kanji character "mitsu" meaning "close" or "dense" with a calligraphy brush in the Japanese city on Dec. 14, 2020. The character was selected as the best kanji to symbolize the national mood for the year, referencing calls to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. (Pool photo)

2020 Japan top buzzword award ceremony

2020 Japan top buzzword award ceremony

Japan's top buzzword for the year "3Cs" is announced at a ceremony in Tokyo on Dec. 1, 2020. The word "3Cs" -- confined spaces, crowded places and close-contact settings -- which health experts say should be avoided, was but one of the numerous coronavirus-related buzzwords in a year marked by the pandemic.

2020 Japan top buzzword award ceremony

2020 Japan top buzzword award ceremony

A screen at a ceremony held in Tokyo on Dec. 1, 2020, for the year's top buzzword awards shows Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike attending it online. Koike was awarded for having contributed to increased recognition of the word "3Cs" -- confined spaces, crowded places and close-contact settings -- which health experts say should be avoided to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.