On December 12th of each year, the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation calls upon people across the country to submit a Chinese character that symbolizes the year throughout Japan and announces the Chinese character with the most submissions as the Kanji representing the social conditions of the year at the Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture on the "Kanji's day."
財団法人日本漢字能力検定協会が、その年をイメージする漢字一字の公募を日本全国より行い、その中で最も応募数の多かった漢字一字を、その年の世相を表す漢字として、毎年12月12日の「漢字の日」に京都府京都市東山区の清水寺で発表する。