Abstract
The aim of the paper is to demonstrate how contemporary young Japanese people use creativity and innovation in word formation so as to fulfil their communicative needs. The selected word formation processes include compounding, blending, clipping, the creation of alphabetisms, derivation, syllable inversion, and the formation of neologisms based on the playful use of Chinese characters.
The primary data collection methods included audio recordings of spontaneous conversations of young Japanese people, their textual interactions on selected social networking sites and blogs, and their assessment of wordlists created on the bases of Japanese youth language dictionaries and secondary literature on the subject.