Right about this time of year, the media world is abuzz in Japan with the upcoming release of awards for the Top Popular Japanese Words and Phrases of 2008. This annual ritual gives us all a good chance to reflect on what the heck everyone was talking about this year. Well, Tokyo Wrestling thinks that it wouldn't be a bad idea to present our own nominations for the Top Popular Lesbian Words and Phrases of 2008 in Japan.

The yearly awards for Top Popular Words and Phrases is a tongue-in-cheek way of paying homage to the trendiest expressions that have gripped society over the course of the year by presenting the persons, products, or groups responsible for coining the word or phrase with an award. Now, with so much lesbian-positivism in the media this year, we think that 2008 could have rightly been called the Year of the Lesbian. But even folks who wouldn't grant us that much would have to admit, this has been a landmark year of change in Japan, giving many of us new reason for optimism.

Yes, right along with the epic release of the stylish lesbian hit drama, The L Word on DVD here in Japan, we had a year of lesbian movies galore, a Hollywood star in Shinjuku’s gay Nichome, a Premium Fan Conference for a queer culture icon, a celebrity couple visiting Tokyo, a new focus on gay marriage, and so much more! This has certainly been a most news-worthy year for Japanese queer girls.

So, looking back on this lesbian year of ours, what were the news stories and events that made the greatest impact on L girls in the Japanese scene? Let's find out as we link these moments to the Top Lesbian Words and Phrases of 2008!

★See the winners of TW's Reader's Award here!