First of all, we would like to thank readers that wrote in with their votes for the trendiest words and phrases of the year. We've tallied all the votes and are ready to move on to presenting the TOP 5 choices!

First, Number Five....

February 2008 saw the release of the hit lesbian drama The L Word here in Japan, and it sure powered up a previously unimaginable lesbian boom in the country. At the same time, a string of remarkable lesbian events has shaken the globe, giving rise to social phenomena that inspire us to see how radically memorable 2008 has been.

Among these developments is the recently widespread use of the word 'bian(a hip abbreviation for the English "lesbian"), queer girl lingo never before known by mainstream media. First it was found in dubbings and subtitles for productions like The L Word, and now it's a buzz word everywhere - even in women's fashion magazines!

The first time it was openly used by the mainstream media might just be when the women's fashion magazine "Frau" did a tie-up article on The L Word in their January 2008 issue.

In an article covering a two-page spread, the words 'bian and 'bian couple are repeated over 15 times - an historic mass media debut for a word once only known in conversations between Japanese queer girls themselves.

Up till now, the highly discriminatory term lezu (equivalent to "lezzie") was once the word of choice in mainstream publications - usually found in porno-sensationalist gossip bits about "suspected lezu!" and "lezu relations! However, this icky moniker is now on its way out, and the new 'bian seems like it's here to stay - now found popularly in expressions like "The 'bian you" and "My/her 'bian friends". This marks the first time that a word indicating woman-loving women is used to refer to anything outside the bedroom and instead give reference to a new cultural niche in the world. Happily, 'bian is more than replacing lezu, it's making the concept irrelevant which is - unquestionably - revolutionary.

Incidentally, the word daiku (yes, "dyke") - used for its meaning along the lines of a "tough girl" here on this website, has also made a positive appearance in women's magazines. Now, why would such street lingo (with absolutely no historical use within Japan) suddenly find its way into the slick pages of "Gisele" (August 2008)? Simply stated, the article published included an excerpt from Tokyo Wrestling's own Hot List including, "lest we forget, her deep voice also makes her quite the dyke siren" in a blurb on Lindsay Lohan's relationship with DJ Samantha Ronson. The magazine editors admitted to being won over by such a refreshingly wild turn on words.

In addition, on the "Figaro Japon" website, blogger and drag queen, Tsuyoko von Brandenburg has written posts with the new Japanese Daikii (yes, "dykey"), showing that - while it may not yet be on par with 'bian - daiku is just as well on its way to finding a home in Japan's mainstream lexicon. That must be why all our J dykes are smiling. Who knows, perhaps next year we'll be presenting an award to daiku!