Japan chooses ‘tax’ as kanji of the year amid concern over cost of living

Competition winner reflects growing anxiety about tax rises, while second place for word of the year went to hot' after a sweltering summer

The kanji character for tax" has been chosen as Japan's word of the year, in a reflection of growing public anxiety over the cost of living and impending tax rises.

The single character - which can be read as zei or mitsugi - was unveiled this week at Kiyomizu Buddhist temple in Kyoto, whose head priest, Seihan Mori, reproduced it with a huge brush on a white washi paper canvas.