Japan's Character of the Year, chosen by the Japanese Kanji Aptitude Test Association, represents the social atmosphere of the year. For 2024, the character 闭 (Kan) was selected, receiving 12,148 votes. This character symbolizes the contrasting fortunes and issues of the year, including the success of Japanese athletes in the Olympics and Paralympics, the problem of political corruption, the issue of underground black labor squeezing out employment opportunities, and the unstoppable rise of prices.