Week in Insights: Japan Votes ‘Tax’ as Its Kanji of the Year

Curated by Daniel Xu

The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation holds a national vote on what will be the kanji—that is, logographic script character—for the coming year. The winner often reflects what concept is trending among the public. This year, it’s “tax.”

Tax is much on the mind in Japan, and for good reason. A new invoicing system has had a difficult rollout, with many small businesses needing to invest in expensive point-of-sale equipment to issue compliant invoices and remain competitive.

The vote also shows uncertainty regarding tax cuts made by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in an ...