Friday 1 December 2017

articulating the popular rage

The Japanese buzzword of the year is sontaku (ไธ–ใซใ‚‚)—a heretofore under-utilised term that describes people who undertake offensive and strategic actions to ingratiate themselves with their superiors, the placatory following of an unspoken order. This newly found appreciation for what we’d call a brown-noser or a lickspittle is a reflection of the country’s political Zeitgeist and unease over the prime minister accruing more power beats out the less controversial (Japanese society generally isn’t openly critical of its leadership and are usually pretty astute at surmising wishes or “self-censorship”) neologism insuta-bae which, converting Instagram into a verb, refers to those chasing down admiration.