Japan Rugby Football Union President Shigetaka Mori speaks in Tokyo on Dec. 2, 2019, at a ceremony for the year's top buzzword awards. Photo:VCG

Japan rugby team's slogan "One Team," the "#KuToo" campaign against a de facto requirement to wear heels at work, and the new imperial era name "Reiwa" were chosen Monday as the most memorable 2019 buzzwords.

"One Team" was declared the top buzzword of the year live on national TV, after the Brave Blossoms captured Japan's imagination by reaching the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals for the first time.

The word #KuToo, a play on words from the Japanese word "kutsu" (shoes) and "kutsuu" (pain) also made the top 10. 

Campaigners say wearing high heels is seen as near-obligatory when job hunting or working at many Japanese companies.

The list also included "Reiwa," - meaning beautiful harmony in Japanese - the name of the era that defines the new emperor's reign.

Japan chooses the buzzwords as well as the kanji, or Chinese character, of the year annually at the year's close.

AFP