countenance; face; looks; a (lingering) trace; a shadow (of someone/something as a memory)

The serialized TV drama starting in September 2025 is “Bakebake.” Set in the Meiji era, it’s a story modeled on the couple Yakumo Koizumi and Setsu Koizumi. Akari Takaishi stars in the lead role, and the theme song is by Humbert Humbert.

19 years

The Ig Nobel Prize is awarded for unique research, and Japanese researchers have won it for 19 consecutive years from 2007 to 2025. Incidentally, in 2025, a study showing that painting cows with black-and-white stripes like zebras makes blood-sucking insects less likely to land on them received the award.

cold sleep

When Perfume announced they would suspend activities through the end of 2025, they described it as going into “cold sleep.” Cold sleep refers to artificial hibernation, which is said to be useful for things like decades-long space travel. However, the technology to achieve it has not yet been established.

2 pieces

At the 2025 World Athletics Championships, the Japan national team won a total of two medals. Both medals were earned by race walkers: Hayato Katsuki took bronze in the men's 35 km, and Nanako Fujii won bronze in the women's 20 km.

5 people

In the 2025 LDP presidential election, five candidates ran: Shinjiro Koizumi, Takayuki Kobayashi, Sanae Takaichi, Yoshimasa Hayashi, and Toshimitsu Motegi. The candidate who secures a majority of both the 295 parliamentary votes and the 295 party member votes will be chosen as the prime minister.

cabbage

The Sapporo Taikyū is a variety of cabbage grown in Hokkaido that is extremely large. It can reach a diameter of 20 cm and weigh over 20 kilograms, and has long been prized as an ingredient for nishinzuke (herring pickles). Although the Sapporo Taikyū originated in Sapporo in 1871, its size and weight make it labor-intensive to handle, and the number of producers has been gradually declining. In September 2025, news reported on the efforts of the Sapporo Taikyū Support Team, which is working to preserve this cabbage for future generations.

AI

In 2025, the Albanian government appointed an AI as a minister to oversee public procurement. It is said to be the first time in the world that an AI has been appointed as a government minister. The AI, named Diella, is expected to be responsible for monitoring as part of anti-corruption efforts.