Kanji meaning 'safety' chosen to sum up 2015

KYOTO -- The kanji character "an," meaning "safety," was chosen as the single best kanji to sum up the year 2015, the organizer of the kanji aptitude test announced on Dec. 15.

The kanji "an" won 5,632 of 129,647 votes cast between Nov. 1 and Dec. 8 for this year's symbolic kanji contest, held annually by the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation. Voters were asked to provide reasons for choosing a kanji character, and many of those who picked "an" noted the controversial security-related legislation passed in the Diet this year, as the kanji is used in the name of the legislation. Others mentioned the terrorist attacks in Paris and a hostage crisis involving Japanese nationals, among other incidents, as they shattered people's sense of safety.

In keeping with annual tradition, chief monk Seihan Mori of Kyoto's famous Kiyomizu temple rendered this year's character in black ink on giant "washi" paper on the temple's "stage" or balcony.

The kanji that placed second was "baku," or "to explode," with 4,929 votes.