During quarantine, many people have found themselves mindlessly snacking, a phenomenon the Japanese call kuchisabishii, meaning "lonely mouth."
This term refers to eating out of boredom or stress rather than hunger, similar to how smokers feel when they crave something to hold in their mouths after quitting.
The Japanese language has other relevant words for pandemic life, such as corona butori (gaining weight due to quarantine), shinrinyoku (forest bathing for relaxation), and Zoom nomikai (virtual drinking parties).
As isolation continued, even non-introverts began experiencing hikikomori, a term describing those who withdraw completely from social life, highlighting how language captures the essence of human behavior in challenging times.
