The year 2020 was marked by the worldwide daily use of words and phrases that were new or given new meaning, such as “lockdown” and “social distancing,” due to the pandemic and its effects on our lives. In Japan, the word “sanmitsu” was so popular that it was chosen as Japan’s buzzword of the year by publishing house Jiyukokuminsha.
“Sanmitsu” is the Japanese equivalent of the “Three Cs” — a well-known approach to preventing COVID-19 infection by avoiding closed spaces, crowds and close-contact situations. Japanese authorities, and most importantly Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, used the term “sanmitsu” frequently to remind the public to practice social distancing. A strategy that…
Keep on reading: Do you know what Japan’s word of the year, ‘sanmitsu,’ means?