Your New Year's resolution can be just one kanji character.

I'm copywriter Hirotaro Abe.
Thank you for your continued support in 2022.

Since this is the first update of the new year, I'd like to introduce a workshop titled " Interpreting the Future Through a Single Kanji Character. "

Every year at the end of the year, a kanji character is chosen to symbolize the year's social climate.
Conversely, what kind of year do you want this year to be?
Please share the single kanji character representing your hope.

Since 2015, I've hosted the ongoing lecture series " Making a Living Through Planning." In 2020, it was titled " The Ongoing Lecture Series 'Word Planning 2020' for Meeting the Future." Due to the pandemic, we created a learning space by connecting online.

The final session was at the end of 2020. Taking every possible precaution against infection, we gathered in person for the first time. To make this opportunity not an end, but a new beginning...

"What kind of year will the next year be? Let's each choose one kanji character and move forward toward our respective goals." The members planned this initiative. Its name: " The Yellow Handkerchief Project Connecting to the Future."

At the venue, handkerchiefs celebrated our new beginnings, just like in the movie "The Yellow Handkerchief of Happiness." Each handkerchief bore a printed kanji character representing hope.

Thinking about what kind of year we wanted this to be, choosing a kanji, and committing to it—this turned out to be surprisingly effective. It felt like we'd found a guiding principle for action.

Incidentally, the kanji chosen to symbolize 2021 at year's end was "金" (gold). This was because Japanese athletes excelled at the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics held during the pandemic, winning numerous gold medals...

While I can see the logic behind that choice, it doesn't resonate deeply with my personal feelings. I feel a certain distance from it.

Instead of predicting the year's symbolizing kanji, imagine your own year ahead. Think about what kind of year you want to have and decide on a kanji that represents your hope.

What single kanji character would you choose?
From workshops held across the country, here are five kanji of hope, along with the sentiments behind them.

"展" (ten)
I chose "展" (ten), meaning "to roll, to grow, to expand." After a year of personal challenges, this new year is about unfolding myself. I chose it with the hope of rolling, growing, and expanding.

"愉"
I deliberately chose "愉" (enjoy) rather than the simpler "楽しむ" (enjoy). "愉" refers not just to enjoying what's given to you, but to a joyful state born from your own feelings and will. It's about changing your perspective, realizing how things can be framed differently, and proactively plotting your own path toward happiness.

"実"
　I want this year to be one where long-cherished dreams and accumulated efforts "bear fruit" (minoru). This character also carries the meaning of "having sufficient substance, being sincere." I also infused it with the aspiration to be true to my feelings, remember my own strengths, and become a person of substance.

"柔"
I want to be someone with a strong core, yet avoid stubbornness. I aspire to be flexible and gentle, open to listening to others' stories and opinions.

"Zero"
I chose this to signify a year of returning to my roots and re-examining everything from zero. Things we took for granted just a short while ago are no longer certain, and negative information is everywhere. I will consciously strive to return to "zero" and view things from a bird's-eye perspective.

For 2022, I personally chose the single character "広" (hiro).
The character "広" is also part of my name. Building on the strength I've accumulated these past few years, I want to "広" (expand) my own possibilities. I want to "広" (expand) my advertising work. With that resolve, I chose the single character "広".

"That Might Just Be Your Own Assumption? Practicing 'Interpretation' Unbound by Someone Else's Answers"
Discover Twenty-One, 288 pages, ¥1,650 (tax included), ISBN 978-4799327371

"It made self-introductions incredibly easy."

The real reward was hearing this feedback. By sharing a single kanji character and the meaning behind it, you can convey your aspirations or resolve. Precisely because it's just one character, it's easy to remember and leaves a lasting impression on others.

It has the same effect as introducing a favorite word or personal motto. Just one character, yet so much more than just one character. I really want you to think about it too, and to silently repeat it in your mind.

It should become a anchor when you feel lost. And come year's end, you'll look forward to seeing how it all turned out.

I've written about methods for interpreting yourself in my book, 'Hey, That Might Just Be Your Own Assumption'. Please take a look. Interpretation is the wings to freedom. You'll surely discover many possibilities.