In 2017, I spoke to Hirosaki citizens about the word “manji”, which was a hot topic on school girls in 2017.

"Maji-Sword" is a coined word used to express emotional changes in conversation and to be used in a positive sense. In 1900 (Meiji 33) in Hirosaki City, "Sword" has been used as a city emblem, and was also used as a flag for the Tsugaru family who ruled the Hirosaki area during the feudal era. It is still used as an accent for manholes and signs in the city.

According to the Hirosaki City Board of Education, "Sword" is a kanji that stands for Kichisho Mantoku, meaning "Koutoku Enman". In April this year, the city distributed a pilot version of a 36-page local learning book "Hirosaki Bakugaku" to 10 elementary and junior high schools in the city.

The person in charge of the department said, "We created this so that Hirosaki would like it from various aspects such as culture and history. In the future, I wanted to create a person who can have a love for the local area." The official version will be distributed to elementary and junior high schools in Hirosaki City next April.

One of the women in their thirties living in Hirosaki City said, "(Seriously swastika) has never used it at all. Maybe a high school girl in Hirosaki hasn't used it yet." A man in his 50s working at a high school in the city said, "I've never heard it in the students' usual conversations. I've heard "Maji Maji" deliberately in the conversation."